Women’s History Month Spotlight: Brené Brown
Who is your favorite inspiring woman?
Since it’s Women’s History Month, I’m putting a spotlight on one of my own favorite inspiring women, Brené Brown. She is a brilliant professor, thought-provoking author, and host of two podcasts: Unlocking Us and Dare to Lead. Dare to Lead is also the name of my favorite book she’s written.
Brené is best known for her eye-opening discoveries about vulnerability, courage, empathy, and human connection. Here are two of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned from her that you can use in your own life.
Brené Brown on vulnerability
“The Power of Vulnerability” is Brené’s 2010 TED Talk that has over 57 million views. It’s one of the top 5 most-watched TED Talks because so many people can relate to the main lesson it teaches.
For many people, being vulnerable is uncomfortable. We want to hide parts of ourselves from others for fear of being judged. Brené talks about how we have a fear of feeling shame, which means we don’t want people to find out certain things about us. But that fear makes us want to close ourselves off and disconnect from others – and then we feel lonely.
As humans, we’re hardwired to connect with other humans. Brené explains that in order to connect, we need to have courage, meaning we must “tell the story of who we are with our whole hearts.” She describes people as “whole-hearted” who powerfully connect with others because they choose to be vulnerable. They know they’re worthy of love and belonging, and that helps them overcome the fear of shame. That’s why “whole-hearted” people are willing to be vulnerable.
If you’ve never seen this TED Talk before – or even if you’ve seen it before but it’s been a while – I suggest watching it and thinking about how you can become more vulnerable in your life. Brené herself was not willing to be vulnerable for a long time. It took a lot of therapy and soul-searching for her to discover that self-compassion and vulnerability were what she needed, and I hope you’ll remember that for yourself, too!
What Dare to Lead teaches about leadership
Dare to Lead is a book that has shaped my own view of leadership. The book highlights communication and teaches us that in order to be a leader we need to stay curious, which will bring new opportunities and personal growth.
Brené mentions that one major reason she wrote the book was to inspire “braver, bolder leaders.” So how exactly do leaders become more brave and bold? Brené teaches leaders to have more courage, and she explains that it’s done in four ways: “Rumbling With Vulnerability,” “Living into Our Values,” “Braving Trust,” and “Learning to Rise.”
This is different from the typical view society has about leadership. Usually, we think of a leader as someone with the loudest voice, the strongest confidence, and the boldest, most imposing presence. But Brené puts emphasis on being vulnerable, practicing self-compassion, and having compassion for others. Her definition of a leader is “anyone who takes responsibility for finding the potential in people and processes and has the courage to develop that potential.”
I highly recommend reading Dare to Lead. It will make you think twice (and many more times) about how to build your courage by embracing imperfection, uncertainty, curiosity, and yes, vulnerability. When you have this type of courage, you become a person who inspires others and makes a positive impact.
If you love personal development and want to learn more about Brené Brown’s talks, podcasts, and other content, you can explore her website here. I greatly respect her because she’s a woman whose ideas are positive and helpful for society. That’s exactly what Women’s History Month is all about.
