HBS's Ranjay Gulati on 'How to Be Bold'
November 11, 2026 - 5:30 - 6:30pm
Virtual & In-Person Event
Desautels Hall, 2nd Floor, South Building
Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto 105 St. George St.,
Members of the Harvard Club of Toronto 20% off the regular ticket price with promo code HBSBOLD20
Harvard Business School professor and author Ranjay Gulati on courage: what it is and how we are all capable of brave acts.
What leads people to speak truth to power, share bold new ideas, or put their lives on the line? Most of us chalk it up to personality, presuming that our heroes are naturally fearless. But what if courage isn’t simply a matter of personality? What if it’s something that any of us can develop?
In How to Be Bold, Ranjay Gulati offers a playbook for becoming bolder and braver. Rather than leaving brave deeds to mythological heroes and resigning ourselves to apathy or cowardice, we can train ourselves to step up and act in the face of uncertainty. The key, Gulati argues, is to adopt ways of thinking that allow us to neutralize or moderate our fears. By shifting how we see ourselves and the world, we can lower the odds that we’ll freeze up in the moment while also sustaining courage over prolonged periods. We also can inspire others around us to display what Gulati calls collective courage.
Gulati shares accounts of extraordinary courageous behavior, taking readers inside a nuclear reactor under threat of meltdown, to the front lines of a war zone, and into space with NASA astronauts. He adds more mundane examples, such as the bravery shown by health care workers during the height of the COVID pandemic and by a whistleblower who took the bold step to expose their employer. Gulati reveals their ability to manage their fears and make courageous action possible.
About the speaker:
Ranjay Gulati is Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School. His pioneering work focuses on unlocking organizational and individual potential—embracing courage, nurturing purpose-driven leaders, driving growth, and transforming businesses. The Economist, Financial Times, and the Economist Intelligence Unit have listed him as among the top handful of business school scholars whose work is most relevant to management practice. He holds a PhD from Harvard University and a Master's degree from MIT. He is the author of Deep Purpose (2022) and How to be Bold (2025), both published by Harper Collins. He lives in Newton, Massachusetts with his wife and two children.
Event Logistics:
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