Brené Brown believes in compassionate leadership at work.
Brown, bestselling author and research professor at the University of Houston who studies vulnerability and shame, has been consulting CEOs on what she calls “courageous leadership.”
On a recent episode of The New York Times’ podcast “The Interview,” Brown discussed her new book, “Strong Ground: The Lessons of Daring Leadership, the Tenacity of Paradox, and the Wisdom of the Human Spirit.”
One leadership tactic she has found doesn’t work for long-term success is creating a sense of fear in your direct reports.
“Just because the world at large believes that you have to be a total d— to get performance out of a team, there is actually very little evidence of that over a long period of time,” she said on the podcast.
While it can be effective, “fear has a very short shelf life,” she said. And it’s a tool many workers won’t tolerate — especially young workers.
“I think we have a new generation of people who won’t work that way,” she said. “The Gen Z-ers, you’re not going to lead them with fear for very long.”
Fear has a very short shelf life.
Brene Brown
Researcher, speaker
Data supports Brown’s thinking. According to a 2025 Gen Z and Millennial Survey from Deloitte, Gen Zers believe a manager’s key role is to provide guidance and support, inspire and motivate them, offer mentorship and help them set boundaries to ensure work-life balance.
More than a third, 37% of Gen Zers say their priority at work is to enjoy the job, according to a February 2024 survey of 2,000 Gen Zers by essay writing platform EduBirdie. They’re not looking to tough it out and be miserable.
And Gen Z takes that philosophy with them as they take the helm as managers as well. “If you’re not taking any client-facing calls and you’re getting your work done and you’re at the beach, by all means, go get a tan,” Rai Tryna, Gen Z manager at a tech company, previously told CNBC Make It.
There are tactics managers can use to skirt leading with fear. They can practice compassion by thanking their team for their hard work if a project has been shelved, for example, Brown noted.
“We see a very compelling, persuasive, strong correlation between courageous and daring leadership and performance,” she said. Those who practice it see better outcomes.
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