We All Need to Embrace Vulnerability at Work

Brené Brown is a research professor at the University of Houston, where she teaches and studies what the above TED Talk is all about – how we can all overcome our innately human fear of vulnerability so that we can truly lead our best lives.

Now, I’m sure you’re wondering what this has to do with DZone, since it’s obviously not overtly tech related. But it just so happens that tech companies from all over the world pay Dr. Brown a whole lot of money to advise them on building cultures where innovation can thrive.

And it turns out, the key, as she explains in her recent Netflix special, is embracing, not running away from, the uncertainty, risk, and emotional exposure that are part and parcel of going out on a limb for things we ultimately have no control over. Like saying ‘I love you’ first, or speaking up in that meeting to pitch your idea.

“No vulnerability, no creativity,” she explains. “No tolerance for failure, no innovation. It is that simple.”

While Dr. Brown has an entire book geared towards helping leadership teams build cultures that embrace vulnerability, I’m not sharing more about that here because you really should see the talk that started it all. “The Power of Vulnerability” is now one of the top five most viewed TED Talks of all time, with more than 40 million views.

Seriously, this is 20 minutes that will change your career. And your life.