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WesternU / Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning / Programming and Events / CETL Book Club

CETL Book Club

CETL Book Club

Join us as we explore Dare to Lead, Brené Brown’s book about what it really takes to be a brave and thoughtful leader. This summer, we’ll discuss how being honest, open, and willing to listen can help us lead with confidence and kindness–in the workplace and beyond. Whether you’re in a leadership role, or would like to develop your leadership skills, this book club will challenge and inspire you to show up with courage.

You may access the eBook from the Pumerantz Library here.

During the book club you will:

  • Reflect on your own leadership style
  • Identify opportunities to lead with openness and empathy
  • Explore ways to create trust and connection in the workplace
  • Apply insights from the book to real-life leadership situations

    • How does the CETL book club work?
    All WesternU faculty and staff are invited to join CETL’s annual summer book club. The book chosen will be Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts. by Brené Brown. More about the book can be found on Brené Brown’s website.

    Every two weeks the group will meet via Zoom to discuss assigned pages in the book. These will be smaller segments of the book to allow reading and discussion throughout the summer. Over the course of the book club, we hope participants meet other WesternU faculty and staff, gain some professional development, develop their leadership style, and have fun discussing the book with colleagues. This is intended to be a fun and casual opportunity for summer professional development.

    Also, all book club members who attend over half of the book club meetings will receive a CETL certificate for their participation.

    How do I get the book?
    The book is currently available as a free eBook through the WesternU library. You may also choose to purchase a hard copy or eBook version on sites such as Amazon. If you prefer a hard copy, there are several used copies available on Amazon or on used book sites such as Thriftbooks or AbeBooks. Be sure to order your copy soon as delivery typically takes several days from used book sites.

    How do I prepare for each meeting?
    Please try to read the assigned chapter(s) to prepare each week. Prior to each week’s meeting, a collaborative whiteboard link will be shared where you can share quotes, a-ha moments, or insights you learned from the assigned reading. You can also bring these to the meeting without pre-posting. There may also be reflection questions shared that you should answer prior to the meeting. During each meeting, we will discuss the assigned chapter(s) and discuss any experiences, questions, quotes, and insights learned since the last meeting. We will see where the discussion takes us each meeting.

    What if I can’t make every meeting?
    We get it–it’s summer! We will be offering two meeting opportunities each week of book club. Join the one that fits your schedule, or feel free to hop around based on your weekly calendar. Have a fun vacation trip planned? No worries! Catch up with the book and join us when you can. Again, this is meant to be a fun, casual professional development opportunity.

    What if I didn’t finish the assigned reading in time for the meeting?
    While the goal is to discuss the assigned readings each meeting, if you didn’t finish reading, don’t let that prevent you from coming. Each week we hope to have discussions, and work through some activities and reflections. You can chime in and participate at whatever level you are comfortable with. Please note, we would like you to join each meeting on camera for at least the first few minutes of introductions. However, if you need to eat lunch or have bandwidth issues, you can turn your camera off after that, if desired.

    SUMMER 2025 BOOK CLUB SCHEDULE

    Meeting Dates:

    Drop in at the same time each meeting, or hop around based on your schedule. It is up to you!

    Meeting #1 – Read book introduction if you can

    Meeting #2 – Read Sections 1 & 2

    Meeting #3 – Read Section 3

    Meeting #4 – Read Sections 4 & 5

    Meeting #5 – Read Parts 2 & 3

    Meeting #6 – Read Part 4