Strong Ground: The Lessons of Daring Leadership, the Tenacity of Paradox, and the Wisdom of the Human Spirit

Grounded confidence, as defined by Brown, represents a fundamentally different approach to self-assurance than traditional notions of confidence rooted in bravado or self-promotion. Rather than emerging from arrogance or posturing, grounded confidence is built upon the foundation of self-awareness, courage, and deliberate practice. The chapter presents this concept as a paradox: It is simultaneously the boldest form of confidence and yet never arrogant; it requires deep knowledge of oneself while also requiring one to remain open to continuous learning with no final destination.

Brown organizes grounded confidence into five interconnected categories: core, strength, awareness, thinking, and communication. Each category contains specific mindsets and skill sets that work together as an integrated system. The core—comprising self-awareness, metacognition, emotional awareness and regulation, mindfulness, and systems thinking—functions as the foundational musculature necessary to prevent compensatory injuries, much like a weak physical core leads to injury through overreliance on inefficient muscle groups.

Self-awareness, defined through psychologist Daniel Goleman’s framework, requires honest assessment of one’s emotions, strengths, weaknesses, needs, and drives—neither overly self-critical nor unrealistically hopeful. Brown emphasizes that authentic self-awareness develops through two critical elements: deep curiosity about one’s internal life and external support from a coach, therapist, or mentor. Metacognition—thinking about one’s thinking—serves as the antidote to cognitive biases, particularly the Dunning-Kruger effect, where individuals overestimate competence in areas where they lack skill.