Dare to Lead Program

Do you want to be a courageous leader and build a courageous team culture?

Michelle Gibbings is a Certified Dare to Lead™ Facilitator based in Australia. The Dare to Lead™ program is based on the research of Dr. Brené Brown.

Dare to Lead™ is an empirically based courage-building program, which helps you, your leaders and your organisation create the capability needed to innovate, develop and succeed in a rapidly changing world.

Brené is a research professor at the University of Houston where she holds the Huffington Foundation – Brené Brown Endowed Chair at The Graduate College of Social Work. She has spent the past two decades studying courage, vulnerability, shame, and empathy, and most recently completed a seven-year study on courageous leadership.

She is the author of five #1 New York Times bestsellers: The Gifts of Imperfection, Daring Greatly, Rising Strong, Braving the Wilderness, and Dare to Lead, which also debuted at #1 on The Wall Street Journal and Publisher’s Weekly lists.

The most significant finding from Brené’s latest research is that courage is a collection of four skill sets that are teachable, measurable, and observable.

Certified Dare to Lead™ Facilitators focus on developing these courage-building skills through workshops, training and coaching to help individuals, teams and organisations move from armoured leadership to daring leadership.

Certified facilitators are authorised to issue Dare to Lead™ Trained certificates to individuals who successfully complete the full three day training program.

A snapshot of the Dare to Lead program

Praise for Dare to Lead™

“Dare To Lead provided me with the ability to re-evaluate my career and leadership qualities and be much more educated and in tune with how I react when it comes to being put under pressure or dealing with different stakeholders. I feel more empowered as a leader and have more ability to help others feel empowered also. The course has also enabled me to reflect on my values, the value in the connections I have and feel more courageous even if it feels uncomfortable. Michelle delivers the program with energy, flair, honesty, real life experience and sincerity. She takes a genuine interest in the participants and delivers the learnings in a way that makes you reflect on the course and learnings far more than you could have ever expected.”

Alexandra Hoskins, Principal, Senet

“I thoroughly enjoyed and would recommend Michelle’s Dare to Lead course to everyone. Michelle has a warm and engaging style and weaves her own years of skill building and experience into the research of Brene Brown. There’s lots of time for discussion and extending our learning during the course, and Michelle generously shares her knowledge with me in an ongoing way via her website: The Weekly Edition. Thanks Michelle!”

Maria Orr, Senior Programs Manager, Anglicare

“I have been looking at doing the Dare to Lead course for a while now, however I wanted to ensure that it was with the right facilitator. The time I spent with Michelle Gibbings was simply priceless. Run in a small group with other like minded individuals, it was wonderful to go through rumbling with vulnerability, how we amour ourselves, being in the arena, sharing our experiences and working together. I loved how Michelle bought her own experience and lens to the session which added to the already rich program. We have had several further connections and check ins post the course being completed. I would highly recommend Michelle as a facilitator and coach.”

Sadhana Smiles, CEO, Real Estate Industry Partners

“Thought provoking yet practical – I found Michelle’s Dare to Lead program extremely thought-provoking, with practical tools provided to encourage changing your leadership approach for the better, for good. One great facet of the learning was the in-person sessions with fellow participants – a bunch of seriously talented leaders with growth mindsets – all who were happy to share their insights, challenge their own leadership style and candidly workshop new styles of leading. The final part of the winning formula was the integration plan – a practical plan to ensure the tools provided as part of daring to lead are applied in real life.”

Felicia B (Financial Services)

“Michelle gave us the tools for real world applications that are critical to living into our values both personally and professionally. I am walking out of the course feeling empowered to have tough conversations and step into the arena.”

Alyssa Brown, Head of Content, Easy Weddings

“Great content from an inspiring leader. Michelle’s delivery and she is exemplary. It challenges the heart and mind. Very fulfilling.”

Justin Dickinson, Production Manager, Hardchrome Engineering Pty Ltd

“Michelle is a wonderful facilitator - she is knowledgeable, engaging and incredibly relatable. The Dare to Lead™ program challenges you to do better, to be better and provides you with the tools to achieve your challenge of being a daring leader.”

Kate Appledore, Program Lead - Enterprise Quality and Risk, Western Victoria Primary Health Network

“Meaningful and valuable content that Michelle skillfully and clearly shared with practical examples. Thoroughly recommend Michelle’s Dare to Lead™ program. Well worth the trip to Melbourne to attend face to face.”

Narelle Dempster, Risk & Due Diligence Lead, The Fred Hollows Foundation

“Michelle draws on and shares her own experiences which really helps bring the material to life.”

Nick Codling, Commercial Advisor, Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications

“The course was well worth attending. It was extremely valuable in providing tools to work through the day to day encounters we have with our peers and stakeholders in building trust, developing and maintaining relationships and becoming more self-aware in order to lead people and bring out the best in those we influence.”

Sarah Cass, Group Risk Assurance Manager, Australian Super

“Michelle is an amazing facilitator who leads and guides the group through the content bringing her own authentic and real life examples from her prior experiences and brings the content to life. The Dare to Lead™ program far exceeded my expectations”.

Tamsin Beale, Senior Corporate Marketing Consultant, UniSuper

“Michelle is always enthusiastic, knowledgeable and real. Her experience shows. Her authenticity brings Brene Brown’s work to life in an Australian context.”

Tracy McGowan, Associate Director, Regulatory Controls, National Australia Bank

“The Dare to Lead™ program will definitely change the way you think about leadership. Makes you understand what is required to be a daring leader”.

Ven Ramanan, Client Services Manager, Easy Weddings

“Great course, enjoyed Michelle’s practical application/experiences in applying the tools and concepts.”

Phil Tudor, University of Melbourne

“Great facilitators who presented high diversity material clearly, energetically and authentically. So many useful skills to take back to my workplace which I am confident will improve outcomes for myself and my team.”

Tabitha Healey, Consultant Physician, Mary Potter Hospice

“Dare to Lead™ was a fantastic opportunity to get a better insight into how to implement effective leadership and change within a team or organisation.”

Phoebe Wainer, Speech Language Pathologist, Gumboots Child Therapy Service

“Genuine, caring leaders presented the course. It was professional, well-pitched and practical.”

Michelle Simmonds, Paediatric Occupational Therapist, Gumboots Child Therapy Service

“Highly recommend Dare to Lead™. The course provides insights and practical tools for caring and courageous leadership.”

Dr Susan Entwisle, Asst. Vice President, Cognizant Digital Business

“Never really thought about vulnerability as a leader of people. I now head to the arena with vulnerability front of mind.”

Ross Gaudian, State Manager, MAX | A Tabcorp Company

“I wish I had these skills and knew about these techniques years ago!

Julia Wilkinson, Employee Communications Partner, Tabcorp

“Moving through the Dare to Lead™ process as a management group helped strengthen our understanding of each other’s lenses and how we can support each other to be courageous leaders and be kind to our teams.”

Vanessa Wolf, Gumboots Child Therapy Service

"This program is life changing. The content is powerful and is something every leader would benefit from on their journey to being a better leader and a better human."

Judy Greenslade, Group Head of People, Panthera Finance

"A wonderful opportunity to think about leadership and how we can all become better leaders."

Liza Allen, Dean, Dunmore Lang College

"Learning about the armour I am putting on and how that is inhibiting our conversations with my team is going to be so helpful in supporting them better."

Alex Miller, Rape & Domestic Violence Services Australia

"Great course for anyone looking to build their leadership kit out further. Recognising armoured leadership habits and how you can change them was my biggest take out to take back to my team."

Jo Sales, Rabobank

"Michelle and Julia have well executed the Dare to Lead™ program! The two days were well structured - worth taking the time out from the office. 'Learning to Rise' is something I shall practise everyday. Thank you!"

Reshma Gandhi, Senior Change Manager, Westpac

"The Dare to Lead™ program was exceptional. We were all engaged throughout the entire two days and are leaving with lots of tangible tools to take back to work. Thank you!"

Linda Murray, Speaker, Trainer and Executive Coach, Athena Leadership

"The course was very well structured and it really challenged my thinking on what it means to be vulnerable at work. I learnt the link between vulnerability and courage, what it means to be empathetic versus sympathetic and why being in the arena is what matters most."

Ama Aidoo-Sam, Strategic Procurement Manager, Canon Australia

"Michelle and Julia led an engaging two days and provided interesting  and practical tips on Brené Brown's learnings to take back to work. Great personal growth too."

Leanne Bridges, Manager, Community Engagement, Cycleways and Streetscapes, City of Sydney

"This is a must for everyone who considers themselves to be a leader. It will challenge you, but you will come out the other side more vulnerable, yet strong and better equipped for anything that comes your way."

Melissa Clohesy, Chief Financial Officer, Dunmore Lang College

"I really enjoyed this course. It provided me with an opportunity to explore some pretty raw emotions which I think will help me be a better leader."
Kelly Mitchell, Employee Experience Lead, Tabcorp Holdings Ltd

"I was initially put off by the whole vulnerability and shame research this course was built on but getting through that I have found this training very insightful and thought provoking."

Tony Graham, Delivery Lead, Tabcorp Holdings Ltd

"Courageous course - get ready to get deep in reflection and rumble with your vulnerability."

Emma Smith, Culture & People Partner, Woolworths

"Dare to Lead™ is a great way to build further self awareness as part of a journey to being a true leader."

Simon Vertullo, Operating Partner, Spiique

"This course has changed the way I think about leading people. Practical insights into how to think about and prepare for tough conversations."

Jarrod Harrington, Head of Technology – Delivery & Transformation, Tabcorp Holdings Ltd

"Many insights about self which will go a long way for personal / professional development. It was an engaging and inspiring workshop."

Alison Aqulinia, Project Change Communications Consultant, Hesta

"It was a great course that immersed us into insights and well researched learnings. It is helpful to go deep with Brené Brown’s theory and to connect dots on how this may help me and my organisation evolve."

Tina Brunet, Service Designer – Employment, Vision Australia