Courageous Discomfort

An empowering handbook on how to have candid conversations around race and become a better advocate, written by a Black woman and a white woman who ask and answer 20 common, uncomfortable-but-critical questions about racism. Many people struggle to have honest conversations about race, even those who consider themselves allies or identify as anti-racist. For anyone who wants to have better, more productive discussions, COURAGEOUS DISCOMFORT is an empowering handbook that teaches you how to do just that. In these pages, authors (and best friends), Shanterra McBride, who is Black, and Rosalind Wiseman, who is white, discuss their own friendship and tap into their decades of anti-racism work to answer the 20 uncomfortable-but-critical questions about race they get asked most often, including: • Should I see color? • I'm a good person—how can I be racist? • What if I say something wrong? • What kind of apology makes a difference? These 20 questions-as-chapters invite you into the conversation without judgment and inspire thoughtful reflection and discussion. There will be moments when you will laugh or cringe at the ridiculous or awkward things you read. But the truth is, there is no perfect solution or script for every maybe-racist, sort-of-racist, or blatantly racist situation. And that's OK: making mistakes is just an opportunity to do better next time. But doing this work will empower us to have the relationships we really want to have, including the relationship we want to have with ourselves. TIMELY BUT PERENNIAL TOPIC: Social justice is a longstanding, perennial issue but has entered the vanguard of national discourse in recent years. For anyone hungry for resources related to being an advocate for diversity and inclusion, COURAGEOUS DISCOMFORT provides an accessible, empowering playbook to follow as you confront and reckon with race-related issues and questions, now and moving forward. ACCESSIBLE APPROACH: This beautifully designed book stands out from the more academic books in this category like WHITE FRAGILITY and HOW TO BE AN ANTIRACIST. With accessible writing, an organizing principle that invites you into the conversation, and a lovely package, COURAGEOUS DISCOMFORT is user-friendly and can even be given as an inoffensive, helpful gift to friends, relatives, and recent grads. BLACK AUTHOR + WHITE AUTHOR: Written by a Black and white author pair who have both published books before, this handbook is authentic and credible, but also approachable. The authors' tone and the organization of the book make it feel as if you are part of their candid conversation on race, with someone asking all the uncomfortable, awkward questions that you have asked yourself, or your friends are too scared to ask of you. This Q&A format applies to readers, whether they identify as white or non-white, who have found themselves in similar conversations, unsure of how to handle them. GREAT FOR BOOK CLUBS: Inspired by a webinar, featuring chapters-as-questions, this book is primed for book clubs. The organization lends itself perfectly to discussion—clubs can pose each question/chapter title, review the thought prompts, and share personal experiences for an enlightening, educational, and productive conversation. Perfect for: • People who want to have better, more productive conversations around race and racial issues • White people who want to be better allies • Anyone who is focused on social justice, particularly millennials and members of Gen Z • People who read books like WHITE FRAGILITY, CASTE, and HOW TO BE AN ANTIRACIST

In this companion to his best-selling book, Singleton presents first-person vignettes and a detailed case study showing educators how to usher in courageous conversations to ignite systemic transformation.

Are you tired of feeling stuck in your comfort zone? Do you want to experience new things and achieve your goals, but find yourself held back by fear and uncertainty? If so, then “Boost Your Courage and Live a More Courageous Life” is the book for you. In this book, you will learn essential strategies for stepping outside of your comfort zone and embracing the courage to achieve what you want in life. From identifying your comfort zone to setting courage goals, this book will provide you with the tools you need to create a more fulfilling and successful life. Through self-exploration and learning, you will gain a better understanding of who you are, what you want, and what motivates you. You will learn how to embrace discomfort, try new things, and learn from failure, all while seeking support from those around you. By implementing these strategies, you will be able to step outside of your comfort zone and experience new things that can help you grow and develop as an individual. Whether you want to improve your personal or professional life, this book has the tools and strategies you need to succeed. So, if you're ready to embrace the courage to achieve what you want in life, then pick up a copy of “Boost Your Courage and Live a More Courageous Life today”. With this book by your side, you'll have everything you need to create a more fulfilling and successful life.

Overcome fear and adversity in the workplace with courage! Courage is the first virtue of leadership success. Leaders require courage to make bold decisions even when there are dissenters, to say what needs to be said no matter the consequences, and to place their trust in those they manage. Yet surprisingly, despite the central role that courage plays in leadership success, until now there have been few training programs devoted solely to building courage in the workplace. The Courageous Leadership workshop introduces a new organizational development practice called courage-building. As a new professional discipline, courage-building is predicated on the assumption that people perform better when they are behaving courageously than when they are anxious and afraid. To be a courage-builder, however, you have to role model courageous behavior. This workshop is designed to help you do just that. The objectives of this workshop are to: Learn about the three different types of courage and when (and how) to use each Gain insight into your own "courage history" so that you can use your past to strengthen your future Understand the impact that fear has on personal and organizational performance Learn about two distinct ways of leading, and approaches for inspiring more courageous behavior among the people with whom you work Identify specific actions for extending the value of the workshop so that you can continue benefiting from it going forward Become a courageous leader By learning to apply the strategies and approaches that are introduced in the Courageous Leadership workshop, and then applying them in your workplace, you will help people step up to challenges more readily, embrace change more fully, and speak up more assertively. When you put your courage to work, and when you step past the threshold of your zone of comfort, the entire workplace benefits.

Tap into everyday courage for extraordinary results The Courageous Leader presents a much-needed reminder for leaders everywhere: it takes courage. Courage is not just about heroic acts in grandiose situations—it's about everyday, solid-as-a-rock support and leadership that motivates, inspires, and delivers. It's about taking a risk on a great idea, and it's about seeing opportunities in the day-to-day. Courageous leaders aren't necessarily the bold "Navy SEALS" of the workplace; they're the everyday people who lead steadily through rough waters. They don't seek out discomfort, but accept it as part of the process when it occurs, and still deliver exceptional results. This book shows you how to tap into your courage reserves and build your steel. Real stories of everyday leaders show you how it's done, and provide a new lens for seeing real strength in adversity—and practicing it yourself. Tough situations do arise, but great leaders show courage every day. Keeping your strength in reserve for the big problems leaves you operating at less-than-full capacity the rest of the time—and your people deserve better. This book shows you how to exercise courage every day in small situations to build the unshakeable foundation of a great leader. Move beyond your comfort zone Develop your ability to focus through tough times Tap into your natural courage and hone your leadership ability Leverage your strength in situations large and small The more you exercise courage, the stronger it gets; this book shows you how to use it every day to more effectively navigate small challenges—when the big problems arise, you'll face them with The Courageous Leader.

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Brené Brown has taught us what it means to dare greatly, rise strong, and brave the wilderness. Now, based on new research conducted with leaders, change makers, and culture shifters, she’s showing us how to put those ideas into practice so we can step up and lead. Don’t miss the five-part HBO Max docuseries Brené Brown: Atlas of the Heart! NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY BLOOMBERG Leadership is not about titles, status, and wielding power. A leader is anyone who takes responsibility for recognizing the potential in people and ideas, and has the courage to develop that potential. When we dare to lead, we don’t pretend to have the right answers; we stay curious and ask the right questions. We don’t see power as finite and hoard it; we know that power becomes infinite when we share it with others. We don’t avoid difficult conversations and situations; we lean into vulnerability when it’s necessary to do good work. But daring leadership in a culture defined by scarcity, fear, and uncertainty requires skill-building around traits that are deeply and uniquely human. The irony is that we’re choosing not to invest in developing the hearts and minds of leaders at the exact same time as we’re scrambling to figure out what we have to offer that machines and AI can’t do better and faster. What can we do better? Empathy, connection, and courage, to start. Four-time #1 New York Times bestselling author Brené Brown has spent the past two decades studying the emotions and experiences that give meaning to our lives, and the past seven years working with transformative leaders and teams spanning the globe. She found that leaders in organizations ranging from small entrepreneurial startups and family-owned businesses to nonprofits, civic organizations, and Fortune 50 companies all ask the same question: How do you cultivate braver, more daring leaders, and how do you embed the value of courage in your culture? In this new book, Brown uses research, stories, and examples to answer these questions in the no-BS style that millions of readers have come to expect and love. Brown writes, “One of the most important findings of my career is that daring leadership is a collection of four skill sets that are 100 percent teachable, observable, and measurable. It’s learning and unlearning that requires brave work, tough conversations, and showing up with your whole heart. Easy? No. Because choosing courage over comfort is not always our default. Worth it? Always. We want to be brave with our lives and our work. It’s why we’re here.” Whether you’ve read Daring Greatly and Rising Strong or you’re new to Brené Brown’s work, this book is for anyone who wants to step up and into brave leadership.

Conscious Courage teaches the reader how to challenge everyday self-defeating thoughts and move through emotional discomfort (a natural part of growth and change). Easy-to-read book packed with Courage Suggestions fosters a new awareness of opportunities for Conscious Courage. This book offers practical steps for becoming more and more consciously courageous on a daily basis. The message is timeless.

'Penny Locaso pulls no punches to deliver hard-hitting insights for living a more fulfilling life.' Nir Eyal, best-selling author of Hooked and Indistractable 'The world is waking up: we have to change and do things differently. Penny's fearless approach to life, combined with the stories and insights of others she shares, is exactly what we need now. The time to reinvent yourself is here.' Dorie Clark, author of Reinventing You and executive education faculty, Duke University Fuqua School of Business You strive for success. Great! But is it making you happy? There is no such thing as a perfect plan to achieve more, manage change and find true happiness. Hacking Happiness challenges you to throw out the rulebook and leap into what we fear most???—???the unknown???... Author Penny Locaso reveals how to bring happiness back to your life and build a solid foundation on which to innovate and thrive in disruption. Through activities and powerful learning and assessment tools, this essential guidebook will help you find growth, success and ultimately happiness in an uncertain future. Learn how to: redefine success and infuse more of it into your daily life develop a mindset that is open to change and instability increase your focus while living in a world filled with distractions find the courage and confidence to face fear and shape change intensify human connection, self-accountability, and reflection. Hacking Happiness is an opportunity to look at the world through a new lens and see that it's by surfing on the edges of our comfort zone that we???—???professionals, leaders, everyone???—???can intentionally adapt to create a successful and fulfilling future.