“Vulnerability is about showing up and being seen. It’s tough to do that when we’re terrified about what people might see or think.” ~ Brene Brown
This is the first Ted Talk I would like to share with you. Brené Brown, Ph.D., is a research professor at the University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work. She has spent the past decade studying vulnerability, courage, worthiness, and shame.
Her 2010 TEDx Houston talk on ‘The Power of Vulnerability’ is one of the most watched talks on TED.com, with over 15 million views. There’s a reason for that.
Her message is very much about the struggle of ‘Control and Predict’, which is how we are conditioned in business versus the power of vulnerability.
The challenge in business is to really connect at an emotional level with our clients and our teams. To connect we need to move into a space that could be very uncomfortable for us. I’ll put my hand up and say I am not good at being vulnerable. I like to be in control and I like to control (those that know me will be say ‘no kidding’!). However, I know what I have been able to do by lowering the ‘steel door’ and moving into that space. I’m not perfect and that’s ok!
Enjoy this and I encourage you to watch to the very end. It’s a powerful message and something we need a whole lot more of in leadership and business if we are going to be truly successful in the future years.