Teamwork Tuesdays: Brené Brown — The Power of Vulnerability

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The best leaders I’ve been around have a healthy mix of confidence and humility. They are smart, skilled, and capable — but they also know they aren’t perfect. And they have an effective way of communicating that balance.

They are vulnerable.

Brené Brown is a research professor, author, and speaker best known for her work on vulnerability, courage, shame, and leadership. She studies what gets in the way of people showing up fully — and teaches how to push through it so we can lead, connect, and perform better.

She defines vulnerability not as weakness, but as the “birthplace of innovation, creativity, and change.” Her work highlights that being vulnerable requires the courage to show up and be seen, even when you can’t control the outcome.

And the truth is — very rarely can we control the outcome.

Being vulnerable helps us connect with the people we work with, be honest about who we are, and find the best path forward. It’s our ability to share our thoughts, feelings, and experiences with people who have earned the right to hear them.

Brown puts it this way:

  • “Vulnerability is not weakness; it's our greatest measure of courage.”

  • “Vulnerability is not winning or losing; it's having the courage to show up and be seen when we have no control over the outcome.”

  • “Vulnerability is hard and it's scary and it feels dangerous. But it's not as hard, or scary, or dangerous as getting to the end of our lives and having to ask ourselves: What if I would’ve shown up?”

So don’t feel like you need to know everything or have all the answers.

Find people you trust — people who share your vision and energy. Be honest about who you are, what you know, and what you don’t. Then work together to fill each other’s gaps while highlighting each other’s strengths.

Something to Think About

How can you create an environment where people feel safe to be honest about what they know, what they don’t know, and where they need help — and how would that change the way your team works together?

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