Brene Brown on Work Quotes

"The physics of vulnerability is simple: If we are brave enough often enough, we will fall."

"Empathy is not about fixing, it's about the brave choice to be with someone in their darkness."

"The level of collective courage in an organization is the absolute best predictor of that organization’s ability to be successful."

"Clear is kind. Unclear is unkind."

"Feeding people half-truths or BS to make them feel better (which is almost always about making ourselves feel more comfortable) is unkind."

"Vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation, creativity and change."

"Sometimes the bravest and most important thing you can do is just show up."

"If we want people to fully show up, to bring their whole selves including their unarmored, wholehearted selves to work, we have to create a culture in which people feel safe."

"We can’t be brave in the big moments without practicing in the small moments."

"Our job is not to deny the story, but to defy the ending."

"At the end of the day, at the end of the week, at the end of my life, I want to say I contributed more than I criticized."

"Armored leadership is about self-protection and being right. Daring leadership is about self-awareness and getting it right."

"Integrity is choosing courage over comfort."

"Show up, be seen, answer the call."

"When we stop caring what people think, we lose our capacity for connection. When we’re defined by what people think, we lose the courage to be vulnerable."

"When we fail to set boundaries and hold people accountable, we feel used and mistreated."

"Daring leadership is ultimately about a set of four skill sets that are 100 percent teachable, observable, and measurable."

"Curiosity is a shit-starter. But we need it for growth."

"Leaders must either invest a reasonable amount of time attending to fears and feelings, or squander an unreasonable amount of time trying to manage ineffective and unproductive behavior."

"Connection is the energy that exists between people when they feel seen, heard, and valued."

"Trust is a product of vulnerability that grows over time and requires work, attention, and full engagement."

"Innovation and creativity are often the result of failure."

"Shame is the most powerful master of the workplace."

"A brave leader is someone who says 'I see you. I hear you. I don’t have all the answers, but I’m going to keep listening and asking questions.'"

"Power with and power to are about sharing power with others to achieve a common goal."

"The courage to be vulnerable is not about winning or losing, it's about the courage to show up when you can't predict or control the outcome."

"Vulnerability is not winning or losing; it's having the courage to show up and be seen when we have no control over the outcome."

"Shame is the birthplace of perfectionism."

"You can't get to courage without walking through vulnerability."

"We need to breathe through the hard moments in our work lives."

"Perfectionism is a defensive move. It’s the belief that if we do things perfectly and look perfect, we can minimize or avoid the pain of blame, judgment, and shame."

"I define a leader as anyone who takes responsibility for finding the potential in people and processes, and who has the courage to develop that potential."

"There is no innovation and creativity without failure. Period."