How to Be Bold: The Surprising Science of Everyday Courage

Harvard Business School professor Gulati (Deep Purpose) shines in this fresh examination of courage that combines suspenseful storytelling with relevant research. He argues that boldness is neither innate nor rare but a discipline that can be developed like a muscle. To help people become more courageous in their careers and pesonal lives, he created a formula called “the 9 C’s,” which includes such strategies as commitment, connection, and charisma. The book’s most memorable moments are stories about everyday people hurled into life-or-death situations. For example, in 2023, 26-year-old Brandon Tsay disarmed a gunman who opened fire at a Los Angeles dance hall where he worked. In an interview, Tsay revealed that he had never viewed himself as brave or heroic, but the venue had been founded by his grandmother, and he knew many of the patrons and fellow employees. This collective identity gave him, in Gulati’s words, “a powerful reason to fight back.” Gulati also explores more nuanced and relatable examples, like how he overcame being “gripped by fear” at the prospect of public speaking by focusing not on the audience and their possible reactions but on his purpose in addressing them. As inspirational as it is practical, this is a much-needed reframing of what it means to be brave. (Sept.)