25 Powerful Brene Brown Leadership Quotes

Brene Brown is known for her research and writing that surround topics like vulnerability, shame, and perhaps most notably, leadership!

And she often shares pearls of wisdom in podcasts, books, and other forms of content.

So it’s safe to say that she’s been the origin of many great, and empowering, quotes over the years.

And today I’m going to be sharing some of my favorite quotes from Brene Brown with you!

More specifically, I’ll be sharing Brene Brown leadership quotes.

Since I know that you can apply that wisdom to your careers in a really positive way.

Quotes About What A Leader Is

Brene often goes into detail about how she defines being a leader.

And I think quotes from these discussions are especially helpful for those who might be confused about what exactly the role of a leader is supposed to mean.

“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.”

“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.”

“Leadership is not about titles or the corner office. It’s about the willingness to step up, put yourself out there, and lean into courage.”

“Daring leaders work to make sure people can be themselves and feel a sense of belonging.”

“Daring leadership is ultimately about serving other people, not ourselves. That’s why we choose courage.”

Quotes About What A Leader Should Do

Among this list of Brene Brown quotes on leadership, I wanted to include some that regard things she thinks every leader should do or encompass!

So here they are…

“There is an incredibly important, uncomfortable, and brave discussion that every single leader and every organization in the world should be having about privilege.”

“Daring leaders must care for and be connected to the people they lead.”

“It turns out that trust is in fact earned in the smallest of moments. It is earned not through heroic deeds, or even highly visible actions, but through paying attention, listening, and gestures of genuine care and connection.”

“Choose courage over comfort.”

“Write a new ending for yourself, for the people you’re meant to serve and support, and for your culture.”

Quotes About What A Leader Shouldn’t Be

But she doesn’t stop at talking about who a leader should be, she also goes into detail about what they shouldn’t be and which traits they shouldn’t bring into their leadership.

And these quotes are equally as important as the previous ones because they shine a light on issues that some leaders (or future leaders) need to work on.

“We desperately need more leaders who are committed to courageous, wholehearted leadership and who are self-aware enough to lead from their hearts, rather than unevolved leaders who lead from hurt and fear.”

“Shame is the most corrosive thing in work culture, as it changes the belief of who we can be and what we can do better.”

“Cynicism and sarcasm are bad in a person, and even worse when they travel through email or text.”

“Feeding people half-truths to make them feel better, which is almost always about making ourselves feel more comfortable, is unkind.

“Silence is not brave leadership, and silence is not a component of brave cultures.”

Quotes About Having Courage As A Leader

As you may have noticed through some of these quotes already, Brene Brown is a huge advocate for courage in leadership.

So I thought it was fitting to dedicate an entire section to these quotes, since courage is one of the most valuable traits that leaders can have.

“The only thing I know for sure after all this research is that if you’re going to dare greatly, you’re going to get your a** kicked at some point. If you choose courage, you will absolutely know failure, disappointment, setback, even heartbreak. That’s why we call it courage. That’s why it’s so rare.”

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

“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.”

“Courage is contagious.”

“The cave you fear to enter, holds the treasure you seek.”

Quotes About Leadership To Remember

This last set of quotes I’ll be sharing don’t have a common theme, but they still convey powerful lessons that I believe every future leader should learn.

And among these, are some of my all-time favorite quotes from Brene Brown!

“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.”

“It’s a big ask to have affection for the people we lead, but it’s a big job.”

“In daring leadership, asking for help is normalized and expected at all levels.”

“Leaders acknowledge the fear and uncertainty, they name it, they normalize it, with the goal of not leveraging it or using it, but de-escalating it.”