Dare to Lead by Brene Brown

   I was reading this book for part of professional development during this crazy time.  It was referred to me by a friend.  I wasn't sure how this would relate to my life, but I wanted to give it a try.

I have seen lots of Brene Brown on Ted talks about motivational videos.  She's amazing in person and good in the written word too, but I think part of her personality is lost in translation.  And let me be clear, while parts of this book are very concise  and relevant, some of it definitely requires translation.

Let's start with her over use of the word Rumble..   To Brene, Rumble means to have these courageous conversations where we share our vulnerability with others.  The problem with using the word in such a way, is that to many readers, "rumble"  already has a connotation and every time she uses it, I just see Ponyboy in his leather jacket getting ready to get even with the Socs for Johnny.  You know what I'm talking about.   If you want to be clear, use words that make sense, don't just take words and try to assign your own meaning.  It doesn't work.

Also, don't talk in anagrams and trite phrases  - B.R.A.V.I.N.G.  and such   No, I am not going to remember what every aspect of braving is and yes, I will probably have to look it up every time I go to relay this story.  Don't talk in trite, overused phrases - like "clear hearts, "painting done" etc.  What the hell is that every supposed to mean?   I agree with the ideas expressed - yes, it is important to be brave and have honest conversations especially at work.  But to do that, you need to be clear and you need to be using a vocabulary that is mutually understood.  If I tell my boss that I want to rumble, well that may not end well. 

So, long and short, I enjoyed the gist and would like to have less banal examples to go from.  I think Brene is genius, I just think she is better in person.  I am more likely to listen than I am to read another book.   3 stars.