While this book was first introduced about a dozen years ago, the concepts Brene Brown discusses are just as relevant and important today.
It’s subtitled: “How the courage to be vulnerable transforms the way we live, love, parent and lead” and she does a fantastic job of highlighting how vulnerability impacts all aspects of our lives including our work. She uses career and corporate examples for a good majority of the book, even has a great section on strategy and culture.
That section is actually one of my favorites. Her research shows us that when an organization talks about certain values, but then displays OTHER values employees disengage and numb out.
Have you ever had that happen? We get excited about a workplace or project’s vision and values but the way decisions get made seem to go against those grand values. As we process our disappointment, we might decide (often unconsciously) to just put up a wall, to not care as much, to numb out instead…. To disengage…
This is not a place from which we can “Dare Greatly”, either as the employee or as an organization.
What will help us to dare greatly are addressing three big obstacles her research has identified:
- Scarcity mindset
- Vulnerability
- Shame
Brene then spends a big chunk of the book describing ways these obstacles show up in our own behaviors and what tools have been effective, according to her research, to work through the obstacles.
For instance, there are three more common ways vulnerability can show up for most of us:
- Foreboding joy
- Perfectionism
- Numbing
Let’s take a look at foreboding joy. We crave more joy and look for ways to get it, to be happy, yet, when beautiful, joyful moments are happening we have a tendency to not fully lean into it. Instead, we feel like there’s something bad that will happen, that we must prepare ourselves for it and not let our guard down. But that worry takes up a lot of space, creating a barrier to fully experience joy. Joy starts to feel like we’re vulnerable, almost like we’re exposing our tender, soft bellies while we laugh.
Yet, to dare greatly, to experience a rich, full life, what if we did lean into joy and other vulnerable moments?
Embracing our vulnerability can help our careers in many ways – I’ve personally enjoyed the deeper connections I’ve created with others. It seems the more we embrace vulnerable moments instead of hiding from them, the more meaningful our connections and collaborations can be. And as I find the courage to lean into vulnerability, I’m also finding my confidence is building.
Connections, confidence, courage: would these help you to dare greatly? Then give this book a read and let me know your takeaways!
