Show Notes:

 Today we are in week two of our series on daring leadership and cultivating a new generation of leaders who are equipped to lead with courage and transform the broken systems from the inside out. We are continuing to follow Brené Brown’s work, primarily from her book, Dare to Lead. Today we are focusing in on the first of four skills sets that she identifies as components of courage, which is a key facet of daring leadership.

As a reminder…

Brené Brown defines leadership as, “anyone who takes responsibility for finding the potential in people and processes, and who has the courage to develop that potential.” (emphasis mine).

And the four skills that are key components of courage include: 

a.      Rumbling with vulnerability

b.      Living into our values

c.      Braving trust

d.      Learning to rise

This episode is focused on rumbling with vulnerability, and next week will be a part two of this topic digging into empathy and shame resilience a bit further as well as some additional concepts and skills that fall within rumbling with vulnerability. Following weeks will focus on the other three skills identified above. 

The idea of the rumble comes from a speech made by Theodore Roosevelt in 1910: "It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”

This quote lays the groundwork for the idea of vulnerability and risking being in the arena, which isn’t always glorious, but is the only path to glory – the spectators (the “cheap seats” as Brené calls them) do not. Brené defines vulnerability as, “the emotion that we experience during times of uncertainty, risk, and emotional exposure.” Can you think of a time where you had to show courage and bravery where you didn’t feel uncertainty, risk and/or emotional exposure?!? Vulnerability is often misperceived as weak, but it is in actual fact directly tied, invariably, to every act of courage that has ever taken place.

Rumbling with vulnerability really just means that we are interacting with this uncomfortable space – that we’re not taking the easy way out and choosing the “cheap seats”, but that we are looking honestly at our own stuff, and inviting interactions with others that are open and willing to touch on things that can be uncomfortable but are also very meaningful. It means taking off the armor and being real, with ourselves and others.

Here is a link that shows the “Armored Leadership” versus “Daring Leadership” lists that come from Brené’s work – check it out here.

We acknowledge that we are often working in settings (and living in settings more generally for that matter!) that demand that we armor up. The broken sharp edges of the system require armor to survive, but this is also a contributing factor to burnout – we starve people of feeling seen, heard, known, and valued because we only reward the armor, which is not sustainable. This is why we need to change the system – to reward brave, courageous interactions that grow vulnerability and wholeheartedness. 

This episode is the second in a series covering the principles that emerged from Brené Brown’s research and writing. I would highly recommend her book, Dare to Lead, and would encourage you to consider reading along as we cover pieces of it. I generally highly recommend her resources which include podcasts, a Netflix special, a youTube video on empathy and a TedTalk about vulnerability and shame from a number of years ago. 

Episode Challenge:

Think about your sphere of influence. How can you offer small steps toward wholeheartedness within your sphere? How can you connect with others who are willing to do the work to do the same?

Additional Resources:

If you haven’t yet, check out the free Beating the Breaking Point Indicators Checklist & Triage Guide to help you self-assess your experiences and exposure to burnout. Use this tool as information as you get honest with yourself about the impacts you have experienced – and start considering telling the story of your resilience as someone who has invested in their own wellness by looking into our Beating the Breaking Point Training Program designed for First Responders and Front Line Workers. You can grab the free indicators checklist here, and learn more about the training program here.

As discussed in todays’ episode, check out Brené Brown’s book Dare to Lead. You may also enjoy some of her other books, including Rising Strong; Braving the Wilderness; and Daring Greatly. These are some of my favourite books for personal development and wellness. She has a couple of other books that are also excellent, but if you’re new to her work, these are the ones I would highly suggest starting with.

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