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Featured Book Overview

Strong Ground by Brené Brown is a timely guide to finding resilience and clarity in uncertain times. Building on the research and insights that shaped her bestselling Dare to Lead framework, Brown draws on over six years of experience working with more than 150,000 leaders across 45 countries. Through a mix of personal stories, original research, and wisdom from poets and thought leaders, she shows how we can stay grounded while navigating complexity, change, and disconnection.

At the heart of Strong Ground is the idea that true strength comes not from rigid control, but from the ability to stand steady in vulnerability. Brown explores essential skills such as having courageous conversations, cultivating awareness before crises emerge, and balancing confidence with humility in the process of learning and unlearning. She highlights the importance of holding paradox—connecting with others while maintaining accountability, and embracing both performance and wholeheartedness without seeing them as opposites.

Rather than offering quick fixes, Brown gives readers a foundation for enduring resilience. Whether you’re leading a team, raising a family, or simply striving to live with more integrity, Strong Ground is an inspiring call to step into uncertainty with steadiness, compassion, and courage.

This book is for anyone navigating change, uncertainty, or the messy middle of life and work. If you’re a leader, educator, or parent trying to hold steady while others look to you for guidance, you’ll find reassurance and practical wisdom here. It also speaks to readers who value self-reflection, resilience, and authentic living, especially those familiar with Brené Brown’s earlier works on courage, vulnerability, and belonging.

Why This Book Is Worth Reading

Brené Brown has a rare gift for blending research-backed insights with deeply human storytelling, and Strong Ground carries that tradition forward with depth and clarity. The book explores how we can remain steady—“grounded”—through turbulent times without losing compassion or connection. For readers in New Zealand and beyond, it provides practical tools for building emotional resilience and trust in relationships, leading with clarity during uncertainty, and finding strength in vulnerability instead of hiding from it. Brown also shows how to reconnect with personal values when life feels overwhelming, reminding us that stability doesn’t mean standing still, but staying rooted while continuing to grow. In a world where constant change can easily leave us unsteady, Strong Ground is a timely and thoughtful guide to living and leading with courage.

About The Author

Brené Brown has a rare gift for blending research-backed insights with deeply human storytelling, and Strong Ground carries that tradition forward with depth and clarity. The book explores how we can remain steady—“grounded”—through turbulent times without losing compassion or connection. For readers in New Zealand and beyond, it provides practical tools for building emotional resilience and trust in relationships, leading with clarity during uncertainty, and finding strength in vulnerability instead of hiding from it. Brown also shows how to reconnect with personal values when life feels overwhelming, reminding us that stability doesn’t mean standing still, but staying rooted while continuing to grow. In a world where constant change can easily leave us unsteady, Strong Ground is a timely and thoughtful guide to living and leading with courage.

Dr Brene Brown Talking About Her Book

Best-selling author Brené Brown joins CBS Mornings on September 24, 2025, to discuss her newest book, Strong Ground. In this conversation, Brown shares insights from decades of research and global leadership training, exploring what it really means to lead with courage, embrace paradox, and stay grounded in our shared human spirit. She unpacks why vulnerability and resilience matter more than ever in today’s uncertain world, and how her work offers practical guidance for leaders, teams, and individuals navigating change.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Strong Ground about?

Strong Ground is Brené Brown’s new guide to what it takes to lead, live, and stay grounded in a world of change and uncertainty. It combines her leadership research (especially from Dare to Lead) with narrative, poetry, stories, and practical tools to help readers develop the mindsets and skillsets needed to stay steady, hold paradox, and reconnect with human values in turbulent times.

Who is the intended audience for Strong Ground?

The book is aimed at a wide range of readers: leaders at all levels (teams, organizations), professionals navigating complexity, and anyone who wants to deepen their resilience and presence in work or life. It is especially relevant for those who have read Brown’s previous works and are seeking more depth in applying courageous leadership.

What are the major themes or takeaways?

Some of the core themes include:

  • Grounding in paradox — learning to hold opposing tensions (e.g. discipline and humility) instead of choosing one over the other.
  • Courageous conversations — how to speak truths even when they’re difficult.
  • Situational and anticipatory awareness — being proactive, not just reactive.
  • Unlearn and relearn — developing humility to shift beliefs when needed.
  • Connection + accountability — bridging performance and wholeheartedness rather than seeing them as oppositional.

Testimonials

I always enjoy Brene’s books and especially her audiobooks because they “read” like a TED talk and it feels like she’s teaching you. This book was no exception. I especially enjoyed her take on the effects of AI in the workplace and the metaphors of being locked in and locked through. Another golden nugget!

Connie Valkema

This was an incredible read. I loved the juxtaposition of the works of other thought leaders with Brené’s own latest research. I’ll definitely be reading this one again. There’s so much packed into this book that it needs a revisit to take it all in.

Christine Jones

“In her latest book, ‘Strong Ground,’ Brené Brown argues that leadership starts with stability, self-awareness, and well-being … 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 review