The title of one of these two recommended books, “Daring Greatly” is pulled from my favorite quote — an excerpt from a Teddy Roosevelt speech that hangs in my office and informs my leadership philosophy. Brown champions the spirit of this quote in her two books. She celebrates the notion of acknowledging your vulnerability so that you can gain more personal power and more fully engage with the challenges of life. Early in my career I was so busy hiding my vulnerabilities that I wasn’t leveraging my full potential. Brown’s work spoke to me. Daring Greatly suggests that once you embrace vulnerability you can contribute in a more substantial way. I agree. Her second book, Rising Strong, asserts that sometimes you will get knocked down. And when that happens, you need to pick yourself up and get back in the game; her book creates a blueprint for rising from adversity with resilience. Both books are wonderful companions to those of us who may have trouble acknowledging our vulnerabilities and, at times, persevering through adversity.

– D. R. Conant