Dare to Disrupt

“Dare to Disrupt” by Brendan P. Keegan presents a tactical roadmap for businesses that want to move beyond incremental growth and truly reshape their industries. The book is built around his experience leading Merchants Fleet through a rapid transformation, going from the eighth-largest to the fourth-largest company in its sector and growing its assets from $500 million to over $2.5 billion in just four years. Keegan argues that disruption isn’t the privilege of large tech giants; instead, any organization can embrace bold change if it commits to the right principles.

The backbone of his method are eight transformational pillars: Leadership; Culture; People; Systems; Intelligence (IQ); Emotional Intelligence (EQ); Flexibility; and Fearlessness. For each pillar, Keegan dives into what it requires in practical terms, how leaders must shift mindset, how culture should support risk and adaptability, why emotional intelligence matters alongside technical IQ, how systems (tools and processes) must scale, and how fearlessness becomes a driver rather than a risk to avoid. The book balances theory with real-world examples, both wins and failures—such as comparing companies that stagnated by sticking to old models and others that reaped the rewards of innovation.

Ultimately, “Dare to Disrupt” challenges readers to see transformational growth not as optional, but as essential to survival in a rapidly evolving business environment. Keegan concludes with several lessons learned from his own journey: develop clarity around your transformational pillars, value and invest in your people, accept short-term discomfort as part of long-term success, and above all, have the courage to act even when the path forward is uncertain. For leaders, executives, and entrepreneurs, the book offers both a philosophical shift and a playbook of concrete action steps for jumping ahead of disruption rather than being overtaken by it.