Strong Ground Audiobook By Brené Brown cover art

Strong Ground

The Lessons of Daring Leadership, the Tenacity of Paradox, and the Wisdom of the Human Spirit

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Strong Ground

By: Brené Brown
Narrated by: Brené Brown
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#1 New York Times bestselling author Brené Brown returns with an urgent call to reimagine the essentials of courageous leadership. In a time when uncertainty runs deep and bluster, hubris, and even cruelty are increasingly framed as acceptable leadership, Brown delivers practical, actionable insights that illuminate the mindsets and skill sets essential to reclaiming focus and driving growth through connection, discipline, and accountability.

Over the past six years, Brené Brown, along with a global community of coaches and facilitators, has taken more than 150,000 leaders in 45 countries through her Dare to Lead courage-building work. In Strong Ground, Brown shares the lessons from these experiences along with wisdom from other thinkers. This is a vital playbook for everyone from senior leaders developing and executing complex strategies to Gen Z-ers entering and navigating turbulent work environments. It is also an unflinching assessment of what happens when we continue to perpetuate the falsehood that performance and wholeheartedness are mutually exclusive.

With equal amounts of optimism and caution about AI, Brown writes, “I hear a lot of experts trying to soothe people’s anxiety about the pace of technological change by offering platitudes like, What makes us human will ensure our relevance. This is dangerous simply because, right now, we’re not especially good at what makes us human. We’re not hardwired for this level of uncertainty, and many of us feel as if the constant need to self-protect is driving the humanity right out of us. This is why organizational transformation today must foster deep connection, deep thinking, and deep collaboration. We need the courage to lead people in a way that honors and protects the wisdom of the human spirit.”

Brown offers a broad assessment of the skill sets and mindsets we need moving forward, including the capacity for respectful and difficult conversations, increased productive urgency and smart prioritization rather than reactivity, and strategic risk-taking, paradoxical thinking, and situational and anticipatory awareness skills. She identifies the toughest skill set as the discipline, humility, and confidence to unlearn and relearn.

Brown writes, “Individuals and organizations are building new muscles. Finding our strong ground—that athletic stance—is the only thing that can provide both unwavering stability in a maelstrom of uncertainty and a platform for the fast, explosive change that the world is demanding.”

*Includes a downloadable PDF of tools, resources, and checklists from the book

Accolades & Awards

Best of 2025
Best of 2025 Leadership Management & Leadership Personal Development Personal Success Psychology Psychology & Mental Health Social Psychology & Interactions Inspiring Thought-Provoking

Critic reviews

“That’s the larger message in Strong Ground: When people feel felt and that they belong, they don’t just mold themselves to the culture as it is; they help it evolve into its fuller potential. And in a time of fear and rapid change across government and beyond, that’s the strong ground our workplaces need.”—Psychology Today

“[Strong Ground is] about what Brown thinks makes a good leader, based on her research, but it’s also about this moment of intense technological and cultural upheaval we’re in at work, and how the ideas she has spent her career spreading, some of which seem to be falling out of favor, might be able to help us weather it.”—Lulu Garcia-Navarro, New York Times

“In Strong Ground, Brené Brown delivers a bold and needed field guide for leading with courage in complex times of uncertainty and change . . . This is not just a book about leadership; it’s a call to return to what makes us fully human: connection, curiosity, and the courage to stand firm in the storm.”—Maria Shriver’s Sunday Paper

“At its core, Strong Ground offers a compelling reminder: leaders are most effective when they provide a steady foundation for others, even when everything else is shifting.”—The Daily Iowan
Practical Leadership Tools • Thought-provoking Concepts • Authentic Narration • Valuable Insights • Transformative Ideas

Highly rated for:

All stars
Most relevant
I appreciated this book for bringing together much of Brené Brown’s work through the decades. Her repeating statements she wanted to emphasize or side notes she felt would help listeners grasp added power to the presentation. Tagged my hard copy while listening to the audible.

Brené’s side notes make this a great companion to hard copy.

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With AI and change rapidly increasing, we need something pther to manage first; ourselves. This book will guide you on that journey.

Most important book I've read this year

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I really enjoyed the variety of content within this book, as well as the additional comments that Brene offered the audible book listener.

Loved the Audible book!

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Listening to Brene is a treat and a joy. Her authentic spirit makes the incredible content of this book even more relevant,

Transformational

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Love her insight into relationships with others and yourself. I will be listening over and over.

Love This Book

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