Title: Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts.
Author(s): Brené Brown

Hope yesterday’s post (Book Giveaway #57: The Last Lecture (3/14/2020)) awakened you into looking at the world around you more closely. How does your world like? It is an absolute mess, isn’t it? Who is to blame? Obama? Trump? Nehru? Modi? Islam? Hindutva? Let us get straight about this.

The contemporary world around us is such that we all end-up criticizing and ridiculing our leaders. Let us correct that – we enjoy complaining about leaders of OTHER groups, communities, businesses, organizations or political parties. The end-result is same. Everyone is kicking some leader or other. Probably that is how it should be – if you cannot take criticism 24 X 7 then you are not fit be a leader.

There is another side to it. If there are NO GOOD LEADERS then who is to blame? You, isn’t it? As the joke goes – if EVERYONE is here to help others then WHAT ARE OTHERS HERE FOR?

THAT other is you and I. The onus is on us! Now,why don’t enough people attempt being leaders – at corporate, community and political levels? Even local neighborhoods – hardly anybody comes forward to take responsibility!

We cannot escape responsibility. Someone has said that people get the leader they deserve. If we do not like our leaders, why don’t we attempt it ourselves?

Brené Brown is here to help. Leadership is less about being overtly courageous – it is more about embracing vulnerability (and its variants like blame, shame, fear, guilt, etc.). It is about embracing the suck! About getting comfortable with imperfections – especially in others!

All of us, at least sometimes, feel grossly inadequate, we feel we have much less knowledge, we think we do not having required skills – most of us think that we are not capable or do not have the know-how for bigger roles. Here is the good news – everyone feels the same – the only difference that is some people choose to jump into the pool and do not mind getting wet or even drowned.

Being a leader is certainly not easy. One moment you are on cloud nine and your next moment could be hell. But, then, what better way to bring out your fullest potential?

Brené Brown takes you step-by-step from vulnerability to courage to confidence and so on – *till you are ready to initiate a revolution*. This book (and her life long work- she is author many books) is based on comprehensive studies – including interviews with hundreds of leaders.

The world (ALWAYS) needs a new leader. The world (ALWAYS) needs a revolution. Let us get our hands dirty. Final words to the author:

Revolution might sound a little dramatic, but in this world, choosing authenticity and worthiness is an absolute act if resistance. Choosing to live and love with our whole hearts is act of defiance. You are going to confuse, piss off, and terrify lots of people – including yourself. One minute you’ll pray that the transformation stops, and the next minute you’ll pray that it never ends. You’ll also feel how you can feel so brave and so afraid at the same time. At least that’s how I feel most of the live….brave, afraid, and, very, very alive.

That’s a good invitation! No point in being sheep or living dead. Let us take the leap towards FEELING FULLY ALIVE!