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Discovering the Power of Vulnerability
A few years ago, when I discovered Brené Brown through her books and her podcasts, something shifted in me. I had been asking myself a lot of questions on staying true to my nature and finding alignment in how I acted in the presence of others and when I was alone. To me, that became the truest measure of authenticity.
As I consumed her words, understanding the qualities of vulnerability, shame, courage, and leadership was a deeply radical experience for me. Her biggest teaching for me was that vulnerability isn’t weakness, it’s actually the birthplace of courage, connection, and authentic leadership.
Allow me to explain a few of her ideas so you can strive to live honestly and in alignment with your true nature. I use these lessons of hers every day while leading as a parent and in my professional life as a people manager.
What Vulnerability Really Is
- By definition, vulnerability is uncertainty, risk, and emotional exposure.
- It’s not oversharing or confessing everything, but the willingness to show up and be seen when there are no guarantees.
- In action, vulnerability can look like any of these. Asking for help, admitting mistakes, saying “I love you” first, giving feedback, or making bold decisions at work.
CONCLUSION: Vulnerability is not weakness. It’s our greatest measure of courage.
How to Leverage Vulnerability
- Build trust: People don’t trust perfection, they trust our imperfect humanity. Leaders who admit mistakes and invite collaboration build stronger teams.
- Foster innovation: Vulnerability creates the safety to take risks, fail, and try again. Without it, creativity dies.
- Deepen connection: Being real invites others to do the same, whether in friendships, family, or at work.
CONCLUSION: Her phrase “clear is kind” also shows up here — leveraging vulnerability means communicating openly instead of hiding behind avoidance or niceness.
What She Says About Leadership
- In her book Dare to Lead, she says: “A leader is anyone who takes responsibility for finding the potential in people and processes, and has the courage to develop that potential.”
- Vulnerable leadership means moving away from command-and-control toward empathy, curiosity, and courage.
- Leaders who armor up with perfectionism, cynicism, or emotional distance might feel safe in the short term, but they end up eroding trust and engagement.
CONCLUSION: Strong leadership is not about having all the answers; it’s about creating conditions where people feel safe enough to contribute their best ideas and selves.
What She Says About How We Live
- Vulnerability touches everything: love, parenting, friendship, work, art.
- Living armored, avoiding vulnerability, leads to numbness, disconnection, and regret.
- Living vulnerably means embracing imperfection, setting boundaries, and choosing courage over comfort.
- She frames it as “wholehearted living” – cultivating worthiness from the inside out rather than hustling for it from others.
CONCLUSION: Vulnerability is not just a soft skill, it’s the hard skill of being fully alive. In leadership, it builds trust and unlocks creativity. In life, it’s the path to love, belonging, and meaning.
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You either walk inside your story and own it or you stand outside your story and hustle for your worthiness. ~ Brené Brown
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Featured Image: ChatGPT rendered image of the GOAT Brené Brown
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What Will You Do?
If you’ve got one chance to make a dent in the universe.
Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage. ~ Anais Nin
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