We’re on book 3 of 5 in our book series. This week we cover Strong Ground: The Lessons of Daring Leadership, the Tenacity of Paradox, and the Wisdom of the Human Spirit by Brené Brown.
At the heart of this book is a simple idea:
You can’t build something strong on a broken foundation.
In this conversation, we unpack what it actually means to build that foundation. Not just in leadership, but in life too.
We get into the idea of grounded confidence. Not as something you either have or don’t, but something you build over time through discipline, accountability, and practice. It shows up in the small things, like doing what you don’t feel like doing, and in the bigger things, like learning how to actually trust yourself.
We also spend time unpacking one of the biggest themes from the book, that leadership is about paradox. It’s not about choosing one path, but learning how to hold two things at once. Profit and purpose. Optimism and realism. Strategy and execution. Or as Brené puts it, leadership is both plumbing and poetry.
Another idea we talk about is “pocket presence.” It’s the ability to stay grounded and make decisions under pressure, even when you don’t have all the information. It’s less about how you look as a leader, and more about how you show up when it actually matters.
We also get into:
- why preparation matters more than natural ability
- how connection and trust drive performance
- and how the work you do behind the scenes is what actually shows up when it counts
There’s a lot in this one. Some of it challenges you, some of it reinforces things you already know but maybe haven’t been doing.
We hope you enjoy this conversation on Strong Ground.
EPISODE LINKS & REFERENCES
Book Featured in This Episode
We’d love to connect with you. Here’s where to find us:
Subscribe to Vienna Five Newsletter
On this podcast, we explore what it means to get UNBLOCKED.
You’ll hear stories about finding clarity, navigating career pivots, and choosing to live with intention. Sometimes that’s through conversations with guests who made bold moves and changed direction. Other times it’s just the two of us unpacking the books, ideas, and lessons shaping our own journey.
We’re not experts looking down from a stage. We’re in it too. Building, questioning, adjusting, and trying to create lives that feel more aligned, more alive, and more intentional.
