We are huge Brené Brown fans. If you’ve seen the Ted Talk and are ready to dive into her books but unsure where to start? Which book should I read first? We’ve got you covered. 

Brené Brown has her own order and even lists them on her site website, so who better to take advice from Brene herself and this is how she thinks the progression of her work should flow. 

Brené offers brief overviews of her work at the beginning of Daring Greatly and Rising Strong, but reading The Gifts of Imperfection first, is always a good place to start. 

Dare to lead is putting Daring Greatly and Rising Strong into practice at work. It’s tactical, actionable, and great for team/group/org reads. 

What order to read Brené Brown's books

1. The Gifts of Imperfection - Be you.

2. Daring Greatly - Be all in.

3. Rising Strong - Fall. Get up. Try again.

4. Dare to lead - Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts.

The Gifts of Imperfection - Be you.

For over a decade, Brené Brown has found a special place in our hearts as a gifted mapmaker and a fellow traveler. And what’s now become a movement all started with The Gifts of Imperfection (purchase on Amazon). What transforms this book from words on a page to effective daily practices are the ten guideposts to wholehearted living. 

The guideposts not only help us understand the practices that will allow us to change our lives, they also walk us through the unattainable and sabotaging expectations that get in the way.

Brené writes, “This book is an invitation to join a wholehearted revolution. A small, quiet, grassroots movement that starts with each of us saying, ‘My story matters because I matter.’ Revolution might sound a little dramatic, but in this world, choosing authenticity and worthiness is an absolute act of resistance.”

Daring Greatly—Be all in.

Daring Greatly (purchase on Amazon) is not about winning or losing. It’s about courage. In a world where “never enough” dominates and feeling afraid has become second nature, vulnerability is subversive. Uncomfortable. And, putting ourselves out there means there’s a far greater risk of getting criticized or feeling hurt. 

But when we step back and examine our lives, we will find that nothing is as uncomfortable, dangerous, and hurtful as standing on the outside of our lives looking in and wondering what it would be like if we had the courage to step into the arena. Whether it’s a new relationship, an important meeting, the creative process, or a difficult family conversation. Daring Greatly is a practice and a powerful new vision for letting ourselves be seen.

Rising Strong—Fall. Get up. Try again.

It is the rise from falling that Brown takes as her subject in Rising Strong (purchase on Amazon). As a grounded theory researcher, Brown has listened to a range of people from leaders in Fortune 500 companies and the military to artists, couples in long-term relationships, teachers, and parents, who shared their stories of being brave, falling, and getting back up. 

She asked herself, What do these people have in common? The answer was clear: They recognize the power of emotion and they’re not afraid to lean into discomfort.

Walking into our stories of hurt can feel dangerous. But the process of regaining our footing in the midst of struggle is where our courage is tested and our values are forged. Rising strong after a fall is how we cultivate wholeheartedness. It’s the process, Brown writes, that teaches us the most about who we are.

Dare to lead - Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts.

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 (purchase on Amazon), we don’t pretend to have the right answers. We don’t see power as finite and hoard it; we know that power becomes infinite when we share it with others. 

But daring leadership in a culture defined by scarcity, fear, and uncertainty requires skill-building around traits that are deeply and uniquely human. What can we do better? Empathy, connection, and courage, to start.

Braving the Wilderness is a book about belonging in a polarized culture and it stands on its own. You can read it anywhere in the progression. One that you can tack on at the end and if you are interested in more Brené Brown books, you can find her entire collection here.