Vulnerability is the last thing I want you to see in me, but the first thing I look for in you. -- Brene’ Brown
Have you ever thought vulnerability could be a strength -- or do you think of it as a weakness?
I have known a number of executives and I can tell you most of them believe the latter.
Here’s part of the problem, we believe vulnerability ALWAYS sets us up to look weak -- too emotional, not credible, not a good leader, unlovable, incompetent . . . (see where I’m going with this?)
It does not.
It means maintaining levels of privacy, without believing you have to keep everything a secret. It means sharing genuineness with people you trust. It means learning about yourself and deciding who gets to be in on your story. It also means
learning how to NOT function in self-doubt
and shame.
You might think, "Then how do I do this?"
Try these:
Apologize when you are wrong
Show compassion to someone struggling
Speak up when you have ideas
Tell people about what you are up to
Share your failures and embarrassing moments (oh my!)
Shame is what keeps us from being vulnerable and how we combat it is to face it head on! Practice vulnerability every day, own your story without it owning you and drop the protective armor for those who deserve to know you more. This is hard to do and I KNOW you can do it.