Book excerpt: IT TAKES GUTS TO LEAD Much has been written about the heads (analytic and strategic ability) and hearts (emotional intelligence) of brave leaders. This book asks the question "What about guts?" and then examines answers offered by a global network of exemplary leaders in their fields. Brave Leaders brings together interview-style explorations with relevant and easy-to-implement exercises to help readers cultivate their own bravery. Both field guide and workbook, Brave Leaders satisfies curiosity about how "guts" factor into brave action and argues that even this element of bravery can be nurtured. The interviews collected here show what bravery looks like in the real world as practiced by people of varying ages and in a variety of fields and circumstances. Together, they make clear that anyone can become an agent of meaningful change for the greater good, whether by engaging in everyday office heroism or by taking a stand in the face of life-threatening circumstances. What one needs is good models, keen insight, and old-fashioned effort and practice. Brave Leaders shows readers how to discover in their own lives opportunities for courageous action and prepares them to take advantage of those opportunities to become a force for good in the world.