Brené Brown: Difference between revisions

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{{Infobox person
{{Infobox person
| name = Brené Brown
| name         = Brené Brown
| birth_name = Casandra Brown
| birth_name   = Casandra Brown
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1965|11|18}}
| birth_place = [[San Antonio, Texas]], U.S.
| birth_place = [[San Antonio, Texas]], U.S.
| nationality = American
| nationality = American
| occupation   = Research professor, author, podcaster, lecturer
| occupation = Research professor, author, podcaster, lecturer
| known_for   = Research on shame, vulnerability, and leadership
| known_for = Research on vulnerability, shame, and leadership
| employer     = [[University of Houston]]
| employer = [[University of Houston]]
| education   = Ph.D. in Social Work (2002)
| title = Huffington Foundation Endowed Chair, Graduate College of Social Work
| website     = {{URL|brenebrown.com}}
| education = Ph.D. in Social Work ([[University of Houston]])
| website = {{URL|brenebrown.com}}
}}
}}


'''Casandra Brené Brown''' (born November 18, 1965) is an American research professor, author, and podcaster who holds the Huffington Foundation's Brené Brown Endowed Chair at the [[University of Houston]]'s Graduate College of Social Work and serves as a visiting professor in management at the [[McCombs School of Business]] at the [[University of Texas at Austin]].<ref name="uh-faculty">{{cite web |title=Brené Brown – Faculty Directory |url=https://www.uh.edu/socialwork/about/faculty-directory/b-brown/index |publisher=University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref> Brown has spent more than two decades studying courage, vulnerability, shame, and empathy, producing a body of qualitative research that has reached audiences far beyond academia. Her 2010 TEDx Houston talk, "The Power of Vulnerability," became one of the most viewed TED talks in history, propelling her into public prominence as a commentator on emotional life, organizational leadership, and human connection. She has written six number-one ''[[New York Times]]'' bestselling books, hosted two podcasts on [[Spotify]], and appeared in documentary specials on [[Netflix]] and [[HBO Max]]. Brown's work has been credited with shifting mainstream conversations around vulnerability from a perception of weakness to one of strength, and her research-based frameworks have been adopted by organizations, educators, military leaders, and mental health professionals around the world.<ref name="inc-profile">{{cite news |last=Aspan |first=Maria |date=2018-10 |title=Brené Brown: The Leadership Consultant Who Wants You to Be Vulnerable |url=https://www.inc.com/magazine/201810/maria-aspan/brene-brown-leadership-consultant-research.html |work=Inc. |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>
'''Casandra Brené Brown''' is an American research professor, author, and podcaster who holds the Huffington Foundation's Brené Brown Endowed Chair at the [[University of Houston]] Graduate College of Social Work.<ref name="uh-endowment">{{cite web |title=Brené Brown Receives Endowed Chair |url=http://www.uh.edu/news-events/stories/2016/February/24BreneBrownEndowment.php |publisher=University of Houston |date=2016-02-24 |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref> She also serves as a visiting professor in management at the [[McCombs School of Business]] at the [[University of Texas at Austin]]. Brown has spent more than two decades studying courage, vulnerability, shame, and empathy, and her research has shaped contemporary conversations about emotional resilience and authentic leadership. Her 2010 [[TEDx]] talk, "The Power of Vulnerability," became one of the most-viewed talks in the history of the TED platform, introducing her ideas to a global audience. Brown has authored six number-one ''[[New York Times]]'' bestselling books, including ''Daring Greatly'', ''Rising Strong'', ''Braving the Wilderness'', ''Dare to Lead'', ''Atlas of the Heart'', and ''Strong Ground''. Her work has extended into documentary film, with the 2019 [[Netflix]] special ''Brené Brown: The Call to Courage'' and a 2022 [[HBO Max]] documentary series based on ''Atlas of the Heart''. She has hosted two podcasts on [[Spotify]] and is a frequent speaker at academic, corporate, and public events. Brown's research has attracted attention from educators, organizational leaders, and mental health professionals, contributing to broader discussions about how emotional awareness intersects with professional and personal development.<ref name="inc-profile">{{cite news |last=Aspan |first=Maria |date=2018-10 |title=Brené Brown: The Leadership Researcher |url=https://www.inc.com/magazine/201810/maria-aspan/brene-brown-leadership-consultant-research.html |work=Inc. |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>


== Early Life ==
== Early Life ==


Brené Brown was born Casandra Brown in [[San Antonio, Texas]].<ref name="uh-faculty" /> She grew up in Texas and has described her upbringing and family life in various public interviews and writings over the course of her career. Brown has spoken publicly about growing up in a family environment that shaped her later interest in the dynamics of shame, belonging, and emotional expression. In interviews, she has noted that her childhood experiences in Texas left a lasting imprint on her identity and worldview.<ref name="texas-highways">{{cite news |title=Brené Brown On Staying Grounded in Trying Times |url=https://texashighways.com/culture/brene-brown-on-staying-grounded-in-trying-times/ |work=Texas Highways |date=2025-11-04 |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>
Brené Brown was born Casandra Brown in [[San Antonio, Texas]].<ref name="uh-faculty">{{cite web |title=Brené Brown – Faculty Directory |url=https://www.uh.edu/socialwork/about/faculty-directory/b-brown/index |publisher=University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref> She grew up in Texas and has spoken publicly about the influence of her upbringing in the state on her worldview and professional interests. In a 2025 interview with ''Texas Highways'' magazine, Brown described her deep connection to Texas, noting that her descriptions of her home state could resemble descriptions of the values she studies in her professional work.<ref name="texashighways">{{cite news |title=Brené Brown On Staying Grounded in Trying Times |url=https://texashighways.com/culture/brene-brown-on-staying-grounded-in-trying-times/ |work=Texas Highways |date=2025-11-04 |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>


Brown has described herself as someone who did not follow a linear path to academia. Before pursuing graduate education, she held various jobs and navigated personal challenges that would later inform her scholarly interest in resilience and human connection.<ref name="forbes-interview">{{cite news |last=Schwabel |first=Dan |date=2013-04-21 |title=Brené Brown: How Vulnerability Can Make Our Lives Better |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/danschawbel/2013/04/21/brene-brown-how-vulnerability-can-make-our-lives-better/2/ |work=Forbes |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref> She has spoken openly about her faith background, identifying as a person of faith whose spiritual life has been a persistent thread throughout her personal and professional development.<ref name="huffpost-church">{{cite news |title=Brené Brown on Big Church, Big &amp; Belonging |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/brene-brown-church_us_56200e7be4b069b4e1fb6e7a |work=HuffPost |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref><ref name="npr-faith">{{cite web |title=Brené Brown is stubborn about her faith : Wild Card with Rachel Martin |url=https://www.npr.org/transcripts/nx-s1-5559825 |publisher=NPR |date=2025-10-02 |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref> In a 2025 interview with NPR's Rachel Martin, Brown discussed how her faith has remained a constant even as her public profile has changed, describing herself as "stubborn" about maintaining her spiritual commitments.<ref name="npr-faith" />
Brown has discussed her personal background in various interviews and public appearances, including aspects of her family life and her faith. In a 2025 interview with [[NPR]]'s ''Wild Card with Rachel Martin'', Brown described herself as "stubborn about her faith," reflecting on how her spiritual life has informed her research into emotions such as vulnerability and shame.<ref name="npr-wildcard">{{cite news |title=Brené Brown is stubborn about her faith : Wild Card with Rachel Martin |url=https://www.npr.org/transcripts/nx-s1-5559825 |work=NPR |date=2025-10-02 |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref> She has also spoken in interviews about the role of the Episcopal Church in her personal journey, noting that her exploration of faith was part of a broader process of self-examination that paralleled her academic work.<ref name="huffpost-church">{{cite news |title=Brené Brown on Faith and the Church |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/brene-brown-church_us_56200e7be4b069b4e1fb6e7a |work=HuffPost |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>


Brown has maintained strong ties to Texas throughout her life and career. In a 2025 interview with ''Texas Highways'' magazine, she described how her home state has grounded her identity, drawing parallels between the landscape and character of Texas and her own approach to navigating complex emotional terrain.<ref name="texas-highways" />
Brown has noted in public talks and writings that her early experiences with family, community, and the cultural environment of Texas informed her later interest in how people navigate shame and develop a sense of belonging. Her work frequently draws on personal anecdotes alongside empirical research, a practice she has traced back to formative experiences in her youth and early adulthood.


== Education ==
== Education ==


Brown pursued her higher education at the [[University of Houston]], where she earned both a master's degree and a doctorate in social work from the Graduate College of Social Work.<ref name="uh-faculty" /> Her doctoral dissertation, completed in 2002, was titled "Acompañar: A Grounded Theory of Developing, Maintaining and Assessing Relevance in Professional Helping," and employed [[grounded theory]] methodology to examine how professionals develop and sustain meaningful connections in helping relationships.<ref name="uh-faculty" /> The grounded theory approach — a qualitative research method focused on developing theory from systematically gathered and analyzed data — became a hallmark of Brown's subsequent scholarly work. Her academic training in social work provided the methodological foundation for the research on shame, vulnerability, and human connection that would later reach a global audience.<ref name="forbes-interview" />
Brown pursued her academic career in [[social work]]. She completed her doctoral studies at the University of Houston, where she earned her [[Doctor of Philosophy|Ph.D.]] in Social Work in 2002. Her doctoral dissertation was titled ''Acompañar: A Grounded Theory of Developing, Maintaining and Assessing Relevance in Professional Helping''.<ref name="uh-faculty" /> The dissertation employed [[grounded theory]] methodology to examine how professional helpers develop and sustain relevance in their work with clients. This methodological approach—rooted in qualitative, interview-based research—would become a hallmark of Brown's subsequent scholarly output on shame, vulnerability, and related emotional experiences.
 
Following the completion of her doctorate, Brown joined the faculty of the University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work, where she would build her research career and ultimately receive an endowed chair.<ref name="uh-endowment" />


== Career ==
== Career ==
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=== Academic Research ===
=== Academic Research ===


Brown joined the faculty of the [[University of Houston]]'s Graduate College of Social Work, where she built a research program centered on the study of shame, vulnerability, courage, empathy, and human connection.<ref name="uh-faculty" /> Her research has employed qualitative methods, particularly grounded theory, to explore how individuals experience and navigate shame and vulnerability in their personal and professional lives. Over a career spanning more than two decades, she conducted thousands of interviews and developed theoretical frameworks that sought to illuminate the role of vulnerability in fostering authentic human connection and organizational effectiveness.<ref name="inc-profile" /><ref name="forbes-interview" />
Brown's academic career has been centered at the [[University of Houston]], where she is a research professor at the Graduate College of Social Work.<ref name="uh-faculty" /> Her research has focused primarily on the topics of shame, vulnerability, courage, empathy, and worthiness. Using qualitative research methods, particularly grounded theory, Brown has conducted extensive interviews and studies examining how individuals experience and respond to shame, and how vulnerability functions in interpersonal relationships and professional settings.


In February 2016, the University of Houston announced the establishment of the Huffington Foundation's Brené Brown Endowed Chair at the Graduate College of Social Work, a named professorship funded by the [[Huffington Foundation]] in recognition of Brown's contributions to the field of social work research and her impact on public discourse around emotional well-being and leadership.<ref name="uh-endowment">{{cite web |title=Huffington Foundation Endows Brené Brown Chair at UH Graduate College of Social Work |url=http://www.uh.edu/news-events/stories/2016/February/24BreneBrownEndowment.php |publisher=University of Houston |date=2016-02-24 |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref> Brown has also served as a visiting professor in management at the [[McCombs School of Business]] at the [[University of Texas at Austin]], where she has brought her research on vulnerability and courage into the context of organizational leadership and business education.<ref name="uh-faculty" />
In February 2016, the University of Houston announced the establishment of the Huffington Foundation's Brené Brown Endowed Chair at the Graduate College of Social Work, a recognition of Brown's contributions to the field and the public profile she had brought to the university's social work program.<ref name="uh-endowment" /> The endowed chair was funded by the Huffington Foundation and named in Brown's honor, reflecting both her scholarly output and her broader cultural impact.


Brown developed a professional training and certification program called The Daring Way™, which trains therapists, counselors, educators, and organizational leaders to apply her research findings in clinical and professional settings. The program is based on her published research on shame resilience and vulnerability.<ref name="daring-way">{{cite web |title=About The Daring Way |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161106032750/http://thedaringway.com/about/ |publisher=The Daring Way |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>
Brown also holds a position as a visiting professor in management at the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin, reflecting the extension of her research on vulnerability and courage into organizational leadership and business management contexts.<ref name="inc-profile" />


=== TED Talks and Public Prominence ===
Her academic approach has been characterized by the use of qualitative data—primarily interviews—to build theoretical frameworks about emotional and psychological experiences. This methodology has distinguished her work from more quantitative approaches common in psychology and organizational behavior, and has also made her findings accessible to lay audiences through storytelling and narrative presentation.


Brown's public profile expanded dramatically following her June 2010 TEDx Houston talk, "The Power of Vulnerability," in which she drew on her research to discuss how embracing vulnerability can lead to greater connection, creativity, and courage. The talk resonated with audiences worldwide and became one of the most viewed talks in the history of the [[TED (conference)|TED]] platform.<ref name="forbes-interview" /><ref name="inc-profile" /> The viral success of the talk introduced Brown's academic work to a mainstream audience and generated sustained media interest in her research.
=== TEDx Talk and Public Profile ===


Brown delivered a subsequent TED talk, "Listening to Shame," which further explored themes from her research. Together, her TED appearances established her as one of the most prominent public voices on the subjects of vulnerability and emotional courage, bridging the gap between academic social work research and popular self-improvement and leadership discourse.<ref name="forbes-interview" />
Brown's public visibility increased dramatically following her June 2010 TEDx talk at TEDxHouston, titled "The Power of Vulnerability." In the talk, Brown discussed findings from her research on human connection, arguing that vulnerability is a necessary component of meaningful relationships and that shame functions as a barrier to authentic engagement with others. The talk was subsequently featured on the main [[TED (conference)|TED]] website and became one of the most-viewed TED talks of all time, accumulating tens of millions of views.
 
The success of the TEDx talk brought Brown's research to a significantly larger audience than is typical for social work scholarship. It led to invitations to speak at conferences, corporate events, and media appearances, and contributed to the commercial success of her subsequent books. In a 2013 interview with ''[[Forbes]]'', Brown discussed how the viral spread of her TED talk had changed her career trajectory, noting the challenges and opportunities of translating academic research into popular discourse.<ref name="forbes-interview">{{cite news |last=Schwabel |first=Dan |date=2013-04-21 |title=Brené Brown: How Vulnerability Can Make Our Lives Better |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/danschawbel/2013/04/21/brene-brown-how-vulnerability-can-make-our-lives-better/2/ |work=Forbes |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>


=== Books ===
=== Books ===


Brown has authored multiple books, six of which reached number one on the ''New York Times'' bestseller list. Her books translate her academic research into accessible frameworks for general readers, organizational leaders, educators, and clinicians.
Brown has written multiple books that have achieved bestseller status. Six of her books have reached number one on the ''New York Times'' bestseller list. Her major published works include:


Her notable published works include:
* ''I Thought It Was Just Me (but it isn't)'' — Brown's first book, focusing on her research into shame and the development of "shame resilience theory."
* ''The Gifts of Imperfection'' — A book exploring what Brown describes as "wholehearted living," drawing on her research into courage, compassion, and connection.
* ''Daring Greatly'' — Published in 2012, this book expanded on the themes of her TEDx talk, arguing that vulnerability is not weakness but rather a measure of courage. The title is drawn from a speech by [[Theodore Roosevelt]]. The book was discussed by [[Oprah Winfrey]] on her program ''Super Soul Sunday''.<ref name="oprah">{{cite web |title=Coming Up Sunday: Dr. Brené Brown on Daring Greatly |url=http://www.oprah.com/own-supersoulsunday/blogs/Coming-Up-Sunday-Dr-Bren233-Brown-on-Daring-Greatly |publisher=Oprah.com |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>
* ''Rising Strong'' — A follow-up examining the process of recovering from failure and disappointment.
* ''Braving the Wilderness'' — A book on belonging and the courage to stand alone.
* ''Dare to Lead'' — Published in 2018, this book applied Brown's research on vulnerability and courage to organizational leadership. It was aimed at business leaders and managers and drew on Brown's work with corporate clients and her position at the McCombs School of Business.<ref name="inc-profile" /> In 2026, ''[[Business Insider]]'' reported that a management consultant cited ''Dare to Lead'' as the book that inspired him to leave his six-figure job, illustrating the book's continued influence in professional circles.<ref name="bi-dareto">{{cite news |title=This Book Inspired Management Consultant to Quit Six-Figure Job |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/management-consultant-quit-six-figure-job-brene-brown-book-lessons-2026-2 |work=Business Insider |date=2026-02-22 |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>
* ''Atlas of the Heart'' — Published in 2021, this book mapped 87 emotions and experiences that Brown identified in her research, aiming to provide readers with a more precise emotional vocabulary.
* ''Strong Ground'' — Published in 2025, this book explores the concept of values clarity and its implications for individuals, teams, and organizations. Brown discussed the book in a podcast conversation with organizational psychologist [[Adam Grant]].<ref name="strong-ground-grant">{{cite web |title=Brené and Adam Grant on Finding Our Strong Ground |url=https://brenebrown.com/podcast/finding-our-strong-ground-part-1-of-6/ |publisher=Brené Brown |date=2025-09-17 |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref> She also hosted an "Ask Me Anything" episode on her podcast addressing listener questions about the book's concepts.<ref name="strong-ground-ama">{{cite web |title=Brené on Strong Ground Ask Me Anything, Part 1 of 2 |url=https://brenebrown.com/podcast/strong-ground-ask-me-anything-part-1-of-2/ |publisher=Brené Brown |date=2025-10-29 |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref> In a personal essay about the book's release, Brown described the tradition of giving the first copy from a new shipment to her mother.<ref name="strong-ground-essay">{{cite web |title=Strong Ground and the Tenacity of Paradox |url=https://brenebrown.com/articles/2025/09/10/strong-ground-and-the-tenacity-of-paradox/ |publisher=Brené Brown |date=2025-09-10 |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>


* '''''I Thought It Was Just Me (but it isn't)''''' — Brown's first book, which introduced her research on shame and the concept of shame resilience theory to a general audience.
=== The Daring Way ===
* '''''The Gifts of Imperfection''''' — A book focused on what Brown describes as "wholehearted living," drawing on her research to outline practices for cultivating authenticity, self-compassion, and resilience.
* '''''Daring Greatly''''' — Taking its title from a passage in [[Theodore Roosevelt]]'s "Citizenship in a Republic" speech, the book argues that vulnerability is not weakness but rather the foundation of courage and meaningful connection. The book drew significant attention from organizational leaders and educators.<ref name="oprah-daring">{{cite web |title=Coming Up Sunday: Dr. Brené Brown on Daring Greatly |url=http://www.oprah.com/own-supersoulsunday/blogs/Coming-Up-Sunday-Dr-Bren233-Brown-on-Daring-Greatly |publisher=Oprah.com |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>
* '''''Rising Strong''''' — A book examining the process of recovering from failure and setback, rooted in Brown's research on resilience.
* '''''Braving the Wilderness''''' — A book addressing themes of belonging, loneliness, and the courage to stand alone.
* '''''Dare to Lead''''' — Brown's book focused specifically on leadership, which argues that effective leadership requires vulnerability, values clarity, trust-building, and the willingness to have difficult conversations. The book has been widely adopted in organizational and corporate settings.<ref name="inc-profile" /><ref name="bi-dare-to-lead">{{cite news |title=This Book Inspired Management Consultant to Quit Six-Figure Job |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/management-consultant-quit-six-figure-job-brene-brown-book-lessons-2026-2 |work=Business Insider |date=2026-02-21 |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>
* '''''Atlas of the Heart''''' — A book mapping human emotions and experiences, which Brown describes as a guide to understanding the language of meaningful connection.
* '''''Strong Ground''''' — Published in 2025, the book focuses on values clarity and living grounded in one's core beliefs. Brown discussed the book in conversations with organizational psychologist [[Adam Grant]] and in listener Q&A sessions on her podcast.<ref name="strong-ground-article">{{cite web |title=Strong Ground and the Tenacity of Paradox |url=https://brenebrown.com/articles/2025/09/10/strong-ground-and-the-tenacity-of-paradox/ |publisher=Brené Brown |date=2025-09-10 |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref><ref name="strong-ground-podcast">{{cite web |title=Brené and Adam Grant on Finding Our Strong Ground |url=https://brenebrown.com/podcast/finding-our-strong-ground-part-1-of-6/ |publisher=Brené Brown |date=2025-09-17 |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref><ref name="strong-ground-ama">{{cite web |title=Brené on Strong Ground Ask Me Anything, Part 1 of 2 |url=https://brenebrown.com/podcast/strong-ground-ask-me-anything-part-1-of-2/ |publisher=Brené Brown |date=2025-10-29 |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>


A 2026 ''Business Insider'' article profiled a management consultant who cited ''Dare to Lead'' as the book that inspired him to leave a six-figure job, illustrating the continued influence of Brown's work on individual career decisions and organizational culture.<ref name="bi-dare-to-lead" />
Brown developed a professional training program called The Daring Way, which certifies therapists, counselors, coaches, and other helping professionals in a methodology based on her research. The program is designed to help facilitators work with individuals, couples, families, and organizations on topics including shame resilience, vulnerability, and wholehearted living.<ref name="daringway">{{cite web |title=About The Daring Way |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161106032750/http://thedaringway.com/about/ |publisher=The Daring Way |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>


=== Podcasts ===
=== Film and Television ===


Brown has hosted two podcasts distributed through [[Spotify]]. Her podcasting work has allowed her to expand on the themes of her books and research in a conversational format, frequently featuring interviews with other researchers, authors, and public figures. Episodes have covered topics including leadership, emotional literacy, belonging, and values-based decision-making.<ref name="strong-ground-podcast" /><ref name="strong-ground-ama" /> In a 2025 episode, Brown and Adam Grant discussed the concept of "strong ground" and what values clarity can mean for individuals, teams, and organizations.<ref name="strong-ground-podcast" />
In 2019, Netflix released the documentary special ''Brené Brown: The Call to Courage'', in which Brown delivered a lecture-style presentation covering themes from her research, including vulnerability, courage, shame, and empathy. The special was filmed before a live audience and presented Brown's ideas in a format similar to her TED talks but at greater length.


=== Film and Television ===
In 2022, HBO Max released a documentary series based on Brown's book ''Atlas of the Heart''. The series explored the emotions and experiences catalogued in the book, using a combination of Brown's commentary, interviews, and illustrative segments.


In 2019, [[Netflix]] released ''Brené Brown: The Call to Courage'', a documentary special filmed at UCLA's Royce Hall in which Brown presents her research on courage and vulnerability to a live audience. The special introduced her work to the streaming platform's global subscriber base.
=== Podcasts ===
 
In 2022, [[HBO Max]] released a documentary series based on Brown's book ''Atlas of the Heart''. The series adapted the book's exploration of human emotions into a multi-episode format, combining Brown's commentary with personal stories and visual storytelling.


=== Consulting and Organizational Work ===
Brown has hosted two podcasts distributed through [[Spotify]]. The programs feature interviews with researchers, authors, and public figures, as well as solo episodes in which Brown discusses her research and its applications. Guests have included organizational psychologist Adam Grant, with whom Brown discussed her 2025 book ''Strong Ground''.<ref name="strong-ground-grant" /> The podcasts have served as a platform for Brown to extend the reach of her academic work and engage with topics at the intersection of psychology, leadership, and personal development.


Brown's research has been applied in organizational, military, educational, and clinical contexts. Through The Daring Way™ certification program and her broader consulting and speaking work, she has trained professionals across multiple sectors to integrate concepts of vulnerability, shame resilience, and values-based leadership into their practice.<ref name="daring-way" /><ref name="inc-profile" /> A 2018 profile in ''Inc.'' magazine detailed her growing role as a leadership consultant and the uptake of her research-based frameworks in corporate environments.<ref name="inc-profile" />
=== Consulting and Corporate Work ===


Her concept of belonging versus "fitting in" — the idea that true belonging does not require individuals to change who they are, while fitting in demands self-betrayal — has been discussed in leadership, counseling, and educational contexts. In a 2025 podcast appearance, Brown articulated this distinction, stating that "the opposite of belonging is actually fitting in."<ref name="lewishowes">{{cite web |title=Brené Brown: How to Stop Betraying Yourself to Be Accepted |url=https://lewishowes.com/podcast/brene-brown-how-to-stop-betraying-yourself-to-be-accepted/ |publisher=Lewis Howes |date=2026-01 |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>
Brown's research on vulnerability and leadership has been applied in corporate and organizational settings. As profiled by ''Inc.'' magazine in 2018, Brown has worked as a leadership consultant, bringing her research findings to corporate clients seeking to improve organizational culture, team dynamics, and leadership effectiveness.<ref name="inc-profile" /> Her appointment as a visiting professor at the McCombs School of Business reflects this extension of her work into the business world.


== Personal Life ==
== Personal Life ==


Brown has lived in [[Houston, Texas]], for much of her adult life, maintaining her connection to the state where she was born and educated.<ref name="texas-highways" /> She has spoken publicly about her family life in her books and talks, though she maintains boundaries around the privacy of her family members. Brown has discussed her marriage and her experience as a parent in the context of her research on vulnerability and wholehearted living.
Brown resides in Texas, where she has lived for much of her life.<ref name="texashighways" /> She has spoken publicly about her personal experiences with vulnerability, shame, and mental health, often using anecdotes from her own life to illustrate research findings in her books and talks. In her 2013 ''Forbes'' interview, Brown discussed the personal dimensions of her research, including the ways in which studying vulnerability had affected her own self-understanding.<ref name="forbes-interview" />


Brown has been open about her personal struggles with vulnerability and perfectionism, noting in interviews and her TED talks that her research findings initially challenged her own assumptions and habits. She has described experiencing what she has called a "breakdown" (which she later reframed as a "spiritual awakening") in response to the findings of her own research, an experience she discussed in her 2010 TEDx talk and subsequent writings.<ref name="forbes-interview" />
Brown has discussed her faith publicly, identifying as a member of the [[Episcopal Church (United States)|Episcopal Church]]. In a 2015 ''HuffPost'' article, she reflected on the role of faith in her life and work.<ref name="huffpost-church" /> In her 2025 NPR interview, she described herself as "stubborn" about her faith, indicating that her spiritual commitments have remained a consistent element of her personal identity alongside her academic career.<ref name="npr-wildcard" />


Her faith has been a recurring subject in public conversations. In a 2025 interview with NPR's Rachel Martin on the ''Wild Card'' podcast, Brown described herself as "stubborn" about her faith, discussing how her spiritual life has remained central to her identity even as her public platform has grown.<ref name="npr-faith" />
Brown has been recognized in Houston's civic and social life. The ''Houston Woman Magazine'' named her among its featured individuals.<ref name="houston-woman">{{cite web |title=Houston Woman Magazine – Fifty |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090411033543/http://www.houstonwomanmagazine.com/fifty.htm |publisher=Houston Woman Magazine |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref> She has also been noted for philanthropic activity, including a surprise appearance and donation at a Houston luncheon event reported by the ''[[Houston Chronicle]]''.<ref name="chron-luncheon">{{cite news |title=Brené Brown surprises luncheon with generous act |url=https://www.chron.com/life/society/article/Brene-Brown-surprises-luncheon-with-generous-7246636.php |work=Houston Chronicle |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>


Brown was recognized by ''Houston Woman Magazine'' as one of Houston's notable women.<ref name="houston-woman">{{cite web |title=Houston's 50 Most Influential Women |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090411033543/http://www.houstonwomanmagazine.com/fifty.htm |publisher=Houston Woman Magazine |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>
Brown's concept of belonging versus "fitting in" has remained a recurring theme in her public discourse. In a 2026 podcast interview, she elaborated on the distinction, arguing that "the opposite of belonging is actually fitting in," a formulation that captures a central tenet of her research.<ref name="lewishowes">{{cite news |title=Brené Brown: How to Stop Betraying Yourself to Be Accepted |url=https://lewishowes.com/podcast/brene-brown-how-to-stop-betraying-yourself-to-be-accepted/ |work=Lewis Howes |date=2026-01 |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>


== Recognition ==
== Recognition ==


Brown's career has brought her recognition across academic, media, and organizational domains. The establishment of the Huffington Foundation's Brené Brown Endowed Chair at the University of Houston in 2016 represented a significant institutional honor, endowing a named professorship in recognition of her scholarly contributions and public impact.<ref name="uh-endowment" />
Brown's work has received attention from a range of media outlets, institutions, and public figures. Her TEDx talk, "The Power of Vulnerability," remains one of the most-viewed presentations in the history of the TED platform, bringing academic research on shame and vulnerability to a mass audience.
 
Her books have collectively sold millions of copies, with six reaching the number-one position on the ''New York Times'' bestseller list. The commercial and cultural success of these books has made Brown one of the most prominent public intellectuals working at the intersection of social work research and popular nonfiction.


Her 2010 TEDx Houston talk became one of the most viewed TED talks of all time, generating tens of millions of views and establishing Brown as one of the platform's most prominent speakers.<ref name="forbes-interview" /> The success of her TED appearances led to invitations to speak at major conferences, corporate events, and media programs, including appearances on Oprah Winfrey's ''Super Soul Sunday''.<ref name="oprah-daring" />
The establishment of the Huffington Foundation's Brené Brown Endowed Chair at the University of Houston in 2016 represented a formal institutional recognition of her contributions to the field of social work and her role in elevating the profile of the university's Graduate College of Social Work.<ref name="uh-endowment" />


Brown's books have collectively sold millions of copies, with six reaching the top of the ''New York Times'' bestseller list. Her Netflix special ''The Call to Courage'' (2019) and HBO Max series ''Atlas of the Heart'' (2022) extended her reach into documentary filmmaking and streaming media.
Brown's Netflix special ''The Call to Courage'' (2019) and the HBO Max series ''Atlas of the Heart'' (2022) extended her reach into documentary film and streaming media, making her research accessible to audiences beyond the readership of her books and the viewership of her TED talks.


She was named one of Houston's most influential women by ''Houston Woman Magazine''.<ref name="houston-woman" /> Her work has been profiled in publications including ''Forbes'', ''Inc.'', ''The Houston Chronicle'', ''Texas Highways'', and NPR, among others.<ref name="forbes-interview" /><ref name="inc-profile" /><ref name="chron-luncheon">{{cite news |title=Brené Brown Surprises Luncheon with Generous Gift |url=https://www.chron.com/life/society/article/Brene-Brown-surprises-luncheon-with-generous-7246636.php |work=Houston Chronicle |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref><ref name="texas-highways" /><ref name="npr-faith" />
In media coverage, Brown's influence has been noted across diverse professional fields. ''Inc.'' magazine profiled her work as a leadership consultant in 2018, highlighting her impact on organizational culture and management practices.<ref name="inc-profile" /> Her ideas have been cited in contexts ranging from military counseling to corporate management, as reflected in reporting by outlets including ''Baptist News Global'' and ''Business Insider''.<ref name="bng">{{cite news |title=KPop Demon Hunters — the Brené, the bad and the beautugly |url=https://baptistnews.com/article/kpop-demon-hunters-the-brene-the-bad-and-the-beautugly/ |work=Baptist News Global |date=2026-02-18 |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref><ref name="bi-dareto" />


Brown appeared at the 2025 [[South by Southwest]] festival, continuing her engagement with public audiences and the broader cultural conversation around leadership, vulnerability, and emotional intelligence.
Oprah Winfrey featured Brown on ''Super Soul Sunday'', bringing her work to the attention of Winfrey's large television audience.<ref name="oprah" />


== Legacy ==
== Legacy ==


Brown's work has been credited with shifting public and organizational discourse around vulnerability. Before her research gained widespread attention, vulnerability was frequently framed in popular culture and organizational settings as a liability or weakness. Through her books, TED talks, and public speaking, Brown advanced the argument — grounded in her qualitative research — that vulnerability is a necessary component of courage, creativity, innovation, and authentic human connection.<ref name="forbes-interview" /><ref name="inc-profile" />
Brown's body of work has contributed to a broader cultural shift in how vulnerability, shame, and emotional awareness are discussed in academic, professional, and public contexts. Her research, originally situated within the discipline of social work, has been adopted and applied across fields including psychology, education, organizational management, and leadership development.


Her influence has been particularly noted in the fields of organizational leadership and management. ''Dare to Lead'' and her associated consulting and training programs have been adopted by corporations, nonprofits, military organizations, and educational institutions seeking to build what Brown calls "brave cultures." The integration of her research into the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin reflects the cross-disciplinary reach of her work, extending social work research into the domain of business education and leadership development.<ref name="inc-profile" />
The Daring Way certification program has created a network of trained facilitators who apply Brown's research-based methodology in clinical and organizational settings, extending the reach of her academic work beyond the university context.<ref name="daringway" />


Brown's concept of shame resilience theory — the idea that individuals can develop strategies for recognizing and navigating shame in constructive ways — has influenced clinical practice in social work, counseling, and psychotherapy. The Daring Way™ certification program has trained clinicians and facilitators in multiple countries to apply her frameworks in therapeutic and organizational contexts.<ref name="daring-way" />
Brown's influence on leadership discourse has been particularly noted. Her 2018 book ''Dare to Lead'' and her consulting work with organizations have contributed to conversations about the role of emotional intelligence and vulnerability in effective leadership. The continued relevance of this work is reflected in ongoing media coverage, including the 2026 ''Business Insider'' report on a management consultant who attributed a major career decision to reading the book.<ref name="bi-dareto" />


Her influence on popular culture is evidenced by the adoption of her vocabulary — terms like "vulnerability," "shame resilience," "wholehearted living," and "brave leadership" — into everyday discourse about personal development and organizational culture. A 2025 article in ''Baptist News Global'' referenced "the Brené" as a cultural shorthand, illustrating the extent to which her name has become associated with a particular approach to emotional life.<ref name="baptistnews">{{cite news |title=KPop Demon Hunters — the Brené, the bad and the beautugly |url=https://baptistnews.com/article/kpop-demon-hunters-the-brene-the-bad-and-the-beautugly/ |work=Baptist News Global |date=2026-02-18 |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>
Her 2025 book ''Strong Ground'' represents a continuation and evolution of her research agenda, focusing on values clarity and its role in navigating complex personal and professional environments.<ref name="strong-ground-essay" /> The book's exploration of paradox and grounded decision-making extends themes that have been present in Brown's work since her doctoral dissertation on relevance in professional helping.


Brown's 2025 book ''Strong Ground'' continued to extend her research into questions of values clarity and identity in an era of rapid change and polarization, suggesting that her influence on public discourse remains ongoing.<ref name="strong-ground-article" />
As a public figure, Brown has modeled a form of academic engagement in which scholarly research is translated into accessible language and presented through multiple media platforms—books, TED talks, podcasts, Netflix specials, and HBO documentaries. This approach has influenced how other researchers and public intellectuals communicate their findings to non-specialist audiences, and has raised questions within academia about the relationship between scholarly rigor and popular accessibility.
 
Brown's emphasis on the distinction between belonging and fitting in, her framing of vulnerability as a component of courage rather than a weakness, and her systematic mapping of emotional experiences in ''Atlas of the Heart'' have entered popular discourse and are referenced in contexts ranging from therapy and counseling to corporate training and military support.<ref name="bng" /><ref name="lewishowes" />


== References ==
== References ==
<references />
<references />


[[Category:1965 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:American social workers]]
[[Category:American academics]]
[[Category:American women academics]]
[[Category:American self-help writers]]
[[Category:American non-fiction writers]]
[[Category:American non-fiction writers]]
[[Category:American podcasters]]
[[Category:American women non-fiction writers]]
[[Category:American women non-fiction writers]]
[[Category:American women podcasters]]
[[Category:American social workers]]
[[Category:Shame researchers]]
[[Category:Leadership scholars]]
[[Category:University of Houston faculty]]
[[Category:University of Houston faculty]]
[[Category:University of Houston alumni]]
[[Category:University of Texas at Austin faculty]]
[[Category:University of Texas at Austin faculty]]
[[Category:People from San Antonio, Texas]]
[[Category:People from San Antonio, Texas]]
[[Category:People from Houston]]
[[Category:American podcasters]]
[[Category:American women podcasters]]
[[Category:Self-help writers]]
[[Category:Leadership scholars]]
[[Category:TED (conference) speakers]]
[[Category:TED (conference) speakers]]
[[Category:Writers from Texas]]
[[Category:Social work scholars]]
[[Category:American Episcopalians]]
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Latest revision as of 04:21, 24 February 2026


Brené Brown
BornCasandra Brown
BirthplaceSan Antonio, Texas, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
OccupationResearch professor, author, podcaster, lecturer
EmployerUniversity of Houston
Known forResearch on shame, vulnerability, and leadership
EducationPh.D. in Social Work (2002)
Website[[brenebrown.com brenebrown.com] Official site]

Casandra Brené Brown is an American research professor, author, and podcaster who holds the Huffington Foundation's Brené Brown Endowed Chair at the University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work.[1] She also serves as a visiting professor in management at the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin. Brown has spent more than two decades studying courage, vulnerability, shame, and empathy, and her research has shaped contemporary conversations about emotional resilience and authentic leadership. Her 2010 TEDx talk, "The Power of Vulnerability," became one of the most-viewed talks in the history of the TED platform, introducing her ideas to a global audience. Brown has authored six number-one New York Times bestselling books, including Daring Greatly, Rising Strong, Braving the Wilderness, Dare to Lead, Atlas of the Heart, and Strong Ground. Her work has extended into documentary film, with the 2019 Netflix special Brené Brown: The Call to Courage and a 2022 HBO Max documentary series based on Atlas of the Heart. She has hosted two podcasts on Spotify and is a frequent speaker at academic, corporate, and public events. Brown's research has attracted attention from educators, organizational leaders, and mental health professionals, contributing to broader discussions about how emotional awareness intersects with professional and personal development.[2]

Early Life

Brené Brown was born Casandra Brown in San Antonio, Texas.[3] She grew up in Texas and has spoken publicly about the influence of her upbringing in the state on her worldview and professional interests. In a 2025 interview with Texas Highways magazine, Brown described her deep connection to Texas, noting that her descriptions of her home state could resemble descriptions of the values she studies in her professional work.[4]

Brown has discussed her personal background in various interviews and public appearances, including aspects of her family life and her faith. In a 2025 interview with NPR's Wild Card with Rachel Martin, Brown described herself as "stubborn about her faith," reflecting on how her spiritual life has informed her research into emotions such as vulnerability and shame.[5] She has also spoken in interviews about the role of the Episcopal Church in her personal journey, noting that her exploration of faith was part of a broader process of self-examination that paralleled her academic work.[6]

Brown has noted in public talks and writings that her early experiences with family, community, and the cultural environment of Texas informed her later interest in how people navigate shame and develop a sense of belonging. Her work frequently draws on personal anecdotes alongside empirical research, a practice she has traced back to formative experiences in her youth and early adulthood.

Education

Brown pursued her academic career in social work. She completed her doctoral studies at the University of Houston, where she earned her Ph.D. in Social Work in 2002. Her doctoral dissertation was titled Acompañar: A Grounded Theory of Developing, Maintaining and Assessing Relevance in Professional Helping.[3] The dissertation employed grounded theory methodology to examine how professional helpers develop and sustain relevance in their work with clients. This methodological approach—rooted in qualitative, interview-based research—would become a hallmark of Brown's subsequent scholarly output on shame, vulnerability, and related emotional experiences.

Following the completion of her doctorate, Brown joined the faculty of the University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work, where she would build her research career and ultimately receive an endowed chair.[1]

Career

Academic Research

Brown's academic career has been centered at the University of Houston, where she is a research professor at the Graduate College of Social Work.[3] Her research has focused primarily on the topics of shame, vulnerability, courage, empathy, and worthiness. Using qualitative research methods, particularly grounded theory, Brown has conducted extensive interviews and studies examining how individuals experience and respond to shame, and how vulnerability functions in interpersonal relationships and professional settings.

In February 2016, the University of Houston announced the establishment of the Huffington Foundation's Brené Brown Endowed Chair at the Graduate College of Social Work, a recognition of Brown's contributions to the field and the public profile she had brought to the university's social work program.[1] The endowed chair was funded by the Huffington Foundation and named in Brown's honor, reflecting both her scholarly output and her broader cultural impact.

Brown also holds a position as a visiting professor in management at the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin, reflecting the extension of her research on vulnerability and courage into organizational leadership and business management contexts.[2]

Her academic approach has been characterized by the use of qualitative data—primarily interviews—to build theoretical frameworks about emotional and psychological experiences. This methodology has distinguished her work from more quantitative approaches common in psychology and organizational behavior, and has also made her findings accessible to lay audiences through storytelling and narrative presentation.

TEDx Talk and Public Profile

Brown's public visibility increased dramatically following her June 2010 TEDx talk at TEDxHouston, titled "The Power of Vulnerability." In the talk, Brown discussed findings from her research on human connection, arguing that vulnerability is a necessary component of meaningful relationships and that shame functions as a barrier to authentic engagement with others. The talk was subsequently featured on the main TED website and became one of the most-viewed TED talks of all time, accumulating tens of millions of views.

The success of the TEDx talk brought Brown's research to a significantly larger audience than is typical for social work scholarship. It led to invitations to speak at conferences, corporate events, and media appearances, and contributed to the commercial success of her subsequent books. In a 2013 interview with Forbes, Brown discussed how the viral spread of her TED talk had changed her career trajectory, noting the challenges and opportunities of translating academic research into popular discourse.[7]

Books

Brown has written multiple books that have achieved bestseller status. Six of her books have reached number one on the New York Times bestseller list. Her major published works include:

  • I Thought It Was Just Me (but it isn't) — Brown's first book, focusing on her research into shame and the development of "shame resilience theory."
  • The Gifts of Imperfection — A book exploring what Brown describes as "wholehearted living," drawing on her research into courage, compassion, and connection.
  • Daring Greatly — Published in 2012, this book expanded on the themes of her TEDx talk, arguing that vulnerability is not weakness but rather a measure of courage. The title is drawn from a speech by Theodore Roosevelt. The book was discussed by Oprah Winfrey on her program Super Soul Sunday.[8]
  • Rising Strong — A follow-up examining the process of recovering from failure and disappointment.
  • Braving the Wilderness — A book on belonging and the courage to stand alone.
  • Dare to Lead — Published in 2018, this book applied Brown's research on vulnerability and courage to organizational leadership. It was aimed at business leaders and managers and drew on Brown's work with corporate clients and her position at the McCombs School of Business.[2] In 2026, Business Insider reported that a management consultant cited Dare to Lead as the book that inspired him to leave his six-figure job, illustrating the book's continued influence in professional circles.[9]
  • Atlas of the Heart — Published in 2021, this book mapped 87 emotions and experiences that Brown identified in her research, aiming to provide readers with a more precise emotional vocabulary.
  • Strong Ground — Published in 2025, this book explores the concept of values clarity and its implications for individuals, teams, and organizations. Brown discussed the book in a podcast conversation with organizational psychologist Adam Grant.[10] She also hosted an "Ask Me Anything" episode on her podcast addressing listener questions about the book's concepts.[11] In a personal essay about the book's release, Brown described the tradition of giving the first copy from a new shipment to her mother.[12]

The Daring Way

Brown developed a professional training program called The Daring Way, which certifies therapists, counselors, coaches, and other helping professionals in a methodology based on her research. The program is designed to help facilitators work with individuals, couples, families, and organizations on topics including shame resilience, vulnerability, and wholehearted living.[13]

Film and Television

In 2019, Netflix released the documentary special Brené Brown: The Call to Courage, in which Brown delivered a lecture-style presentation covering themes from her research, including vulnerability, courage, shame, and empathy. The special was filmed before a live audience and presented Brown's ideas in a format similar to her TED talks but at greater length.

In 2022, HBO Max released a documentary series based on Brown's book Atlas of the Heart. The series explored the emotions and experiences catalogued in the book, using a combination of Brown's commentary, interviews, and illustrative segments.

Podcasts

Brown has hosted two podcasts distributed through Spotify. The programs feature interviews with researchers, authors, and public figures, as well as solo episodes in which Brown discusses her research and its applications. Guests have included organizational psychologist Adam Grant, with whom Brown discussed her 2025 book Strong Ground.[10] The podcasts have served as a platform for Brown to extend the reach of her academic work and engage with topics at the intersection of psychology, leadership, and personal development.

Consulting and Corporate Work

Brown's research on vulnerability and leadership has been applied in corporate and organizational settings. As profiled by Inc. magazine in 2018, Brown has worked as a leadership consultant, bringing her research findings to corporate clients seeking to improve organizational culture, team dynamics, and leadership effectiveness.[2] Her appointment as a visiting professor at the McCombs School of Business reflects this extension of her work into the business world.

Personal Life

Brown resides in Texas, where she has lived for much of her life.[4] She has spoken publicly about her personal experiences with vulnerability, shame, and mental health, often using anecdotes from her own life to illustrate research findings in her books and talks. In her 2013 Forbes interview, Brown discussed the personal dimensions of her research, including the ways in which studying vulnerability had affected her own self-understanding.[7]

Brown has discussed her faith publicly, identifying as a member of the Episcopal Church. In a 2015 HuffPost article, she reflected on the role of faith in her life and work.[6] In her 2025 NPR interview, she described herself as "stubborn" about her faith, indicating that her spiritual commitments have remained a consistent element of her personal identity alongside her academic career.[5]

Brown has been recognized in Houston's civic and social life. The Houston Woman Magazine named her among its featured individuals.[14] She has also been noted for philanthropic activity, including a surprise appearance and donation at a Houston luncheon event reported by the Houston Chronicle.[15]

Brown's concept of belonging versus "fitting in" has remained a recurring theme in her public discourse. In a 2026 podcast interview, she elaborated on the distinction, arguing that "the opposite of belonging is actually fitting in," a formulation that captures a central tenet of her research.[16]

Recognition

Brown's work has received attention from a range of media outlets, institutions, and public figures. Her TEDx talk, "The Power of Vulnerability," remains one of the most-viewed presentations in the history of the TED platform, bringing academic research on shame and vulnerability to a mass audience.

Her books have collectively sold millions of copies, with six reaching the number-one position on the New York Times bestseller list. The commercial and cultural success of these books has made Brown one of the most prominent public intellectuals working at the intersection of social work research and popular nonfiction.

The establishment of the Huffington Foundation's Brené Brown Endowed Chair at the University of Houston in 2016 represented a formal institutional recognition of her contributions to the field of social work and her role in elevating the profile of the university's Graduate College of Social Work.[1]

Brown's Netflix special The Call to Courage (2019) and the HBO Max series Atlas of the Heart (2022) extended her reach into documentary film and streaming media, making her research accessible to audiences beyond the readership of her books and the viewership of her TED talks.

In media coverage, Brown's influence has been noted across diverse professional fields. Inc. magazine profiled her work as a leadership consultant in 2018, highlighting her impact on organizational culture and management practices.[2] Her ideas have been cited in contexts ranging from military counseling to corporate management, as reflected in reporting by outlets including Baptist News Global and Business Insider.[17][9]

Oprah Winfrey featured Brown on Super Soul Sunday, bringing her work to the attention of Winfrey's large television audience.[8]

Legacy

Brown's body of work has contributed to a broader cultural shift in how vulnerability, shame, and emotional awareness are discussed in academic, professional, and public contexts. Her research, originally situated within the discipline of social work, has been adopted and applied across fields including psychology, education, organizational management, and leadership development.

The Daring Way certification program has created a network of trained facilitators who apply Brown's research-based methodology in clinical and organizational settings, extending the reach of her academic work beyond the university context.[13]

Brown's influence on leadership discourse has been particularly noted. Her 2018 book Dare to Lead and her consulting work with organizations have contributed to conversations about the role of emotional intelligence and vulnerability in effective leadership. The continued relevance of this work is reflected in ongoing media coverage, including the 2026 Business Insider report on a management consultant who attributed a major career decision to reading the book.[9]

Her 2025 book Strong Ground represents a continuation and evolution of her research agenda, focusing on values clarity and its role in navigating complex personal and professional environments.[12] The book's exploration of paradox and grounded decision-making extends themes that have been present in Brown's work since her doctoral dissertation on relevance in professional helping.

As a public figure, Brown has modeled a form of academic engagement in which scholarly research is translated into accessible language and presented through multiple media platforms—books, TED talks, podcasts, Netflix specials, and HBO documentaries. This approach has influenced how other researchers and public intellectuals communicate their findings to non-specialist audiences, and has raised questions within academia about the relationship between scholarly rigor and popular accessibility.

Brown's emphasis on the distinction between belonging and fitting in, her framing of vulnerability as a component of courage rather than a weakness, and her systematic mapping of emotional experiences in Atlas of the Heart have entered popular discourse and are referenced in contexts ranging from therapy and counseling to corporate training and military support.[17][16]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "Brené Brown Receives Endowed Chair".University of Houston.2016-02-24.http://www.uh.edu/news-events/stories/2016/February/24BreneBrownEndowment.php.Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 AspanMariaMaria"Brené Brown: The Leadership Researcher".Inc..2018-10.https://www.inc.com/magazine/201810/maria-aspan/brene-brown-leadership-consultant-research.html.Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "Brené Brown – Faculty Directory".University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work.https://www.uh.edu/socialwork/about/faculty-directory/b-brown/index.Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Brené Brown On Staying Grounded in Trying Times".Texas Highways.2025-11-04.https://texashighways.com/culture/brene-brown-on-staying-grounded-in-trying-times/.Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Brené Brown is stubborn about her faith : Wild Card with Rachel Martin".NPR.2025-10-02.https://www.npr.org/transcripts/nx-s1-5559825.Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Brené Brown on Faith and the Church".HuffPost.http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/brene-brown-church_us_56200e7be4b069b4e1fb6e7a.Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 SchwabelDanDan"Brené Brown: How Vulnerability Can Make Our Lives Better".Forbes.2013-04-21.https://www.forbes.com/sites/danschawbel/2013/04/21/brene-brown-how-vulnerability-can-make-our-lives-better/2/.Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Coming Up Sunday: Dr. Brené Brown on Daring Greatly".Oprah.com.http://www.oprah.com/own-supersoulsunday/blogs/Coming-Up-Sunday-Dr-Bren233-Brown-on-Daring-Greatly.Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 "This Book Inspired Management Consultant to Quit Six-Figure Job".Business Insider.2026-02-22.https://www.businessinsider.com/management-consultant-quit-six-figure-job-brene-brown-book-lessons-2026-2.Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 "Brené and Adam Grant on Finding Our Strong Ground".Brené Brown.2025-09-17.https://brenebrown.com/podcast/finding-our-strong-ground-part-1-of-6/.Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  11. ↑ "Brené on Strong Ground Ask Me Anything, Part 1 of 2".Brené Brown.2025-10-29.https://brenebrown.com/podcast/strong-ground-ask-me-anything-part-1-of-2/.Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 "Strong Ground and the Tenacity of Paradox".Brené Brown.2025-09-10.https://brenebrown.com/articles/2025/09/10/strong-ground-and-the-tenacity-of-paradox/.Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 "About The Daring Way".The Daring Way.https://web.archive.org/web/20161106032750/http://thedaringway.com/about/.Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  14. ↑ "Houston Woman Magazine – Fifty".Houston Woman Magazine.https://web.archive.org/web/20090411033543/http://www.houstonwomanmagazine.com/fifty.htm.Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  15. ↑ "Brené Brown surprises luncheon with generous act".Houston Chronicle.https://www.chron.com/life/society/article/Brene-Brown-surprises-luncheon-with-generous-7246636.php.Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 "Brené Brown: How to Stop Betraying Yourself to Be Accepted".Lewis Howes.2026-01.https://lewishowes.com/podcast/brene-brown-how-to-stop-betraying-yourself-to-be-accepted/.Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 "KPop Demon Hunters — the Brené, the bad and the beautugly".Baptist News Global.2026-02-18.https://baptistnews.com/article/kpop-demon-hunters-the-brene-the-bad-and-the-beautugly/.Retrieved 2026-02-23.

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