Dare to Lead with Brené Brown Brené and Adam Grant on the Paradox Tug of War and Leadership Theater
190 snips
Sep 24, 2025 
In this engaging discussion, Adam Grant, an organizational psychologist and bestselling author, teams up with Brené Brown to dive into the complexities of generosity and leadership. They explore the near and far enemies of generosity, highlighting how self-sacrifice can sometimes masquerade as altruism. The duo also unpacks the paradox of needing discipline to achieve freedom and emphasizes the importance of simulating decisions to avert failure. Using vivid sports metaphors, they illustrate leadership dynamics and the significance of finding 'strong ground' within teams.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Near Enemies Hide As Virtues
- Near enemies masquerade as virtues and protect the ego rather than the true value.
- Brené and Adam warn that recognizing near enemies helps you practice genuine values.
Generosity's Near Enemy Is Martyrdom
- Generosity's far enemy is selfishness, but its near enemy can be self-sacrifice or martyrdom.
- Adam highlights that self-sacrifice often seeks identity validation, not true other-focus.
Help Can Hide A Need For Control
- 'Help' can be the sunny side of control when it masks a desire to control outcomes.
- Brené cites Anne Lamott to show how 'help' sometimes prioritizes the helper's control.
