Vulnerability is how teams win. Part I - What it is

We have never lived in a more fragmented time. 

There have been recessions before, but none of us have faced the threat that stands against us now. We have never sailed in these kinds of waters - never had to perform in this kind of environment.

And yet, we need to keep working. Keep building. The heroes of healthcare are working to protect us and find us a cure. We need to be working to keep our selves, our teams, our businesses, and our economy going. 

How do we do that? How do we do that which feels impossible?

One key step is to practice the Mindset Skill of Vulnerability.

I hear you groaning. 

"Oh, vulnerability is it? Sitting round a campfire (more than 2 meters apart of course) talking about our feelings is it?!"

Chances are that if you have this reaction, (or something similar), then this article is for you. Keep reading. 

What I aim to do in my next three articles is to offer an accessible, tangible definition of vulnerability. We'll then look at why it is important. And finally, for good measure, we'll also look at some suggestions on where to begin practicing it.

This week - a definition. What exactly is Vulnerability?

Put away the marshmallows

Vulnerability is not some squishy threat to good old-fashioned hard work, grit and resilience. It is the key to it. I want to offer you a couple from great minds that have helped me think about vulnerability, and then offer my own.

Dr. Brené Brown in her TED Talk articulates Vulnerability as "the willingness to do something where there are no guarantees".

Mark Manson (author of 'The Subtle Art of not Giving a F*ck') explains vulnerability as: 

"consciously choosing to NOT hide your emotions or desires from others. [...] Genuine vulnerability is not about what you do, it’s all about why you’re doing it. It’s the intention behind your behaviour that makes it truly vulnerable (or not)."

Let's take a look at Dr. Brown's definition first. 

Doing something where there are no guarantees. What does that sound like? That's just risk taking. That's what most of life is - particularly business life. 

We are great at convincing ourselves of certainty with our numbers and projections. But if the last few months have taught us anything, it's that we have no control over what actually happens. So perhaps we can all agree now that we do not know with any certainty what is to come. We can therefore agree that we take risks on a daily basis.

If we examine Mark Manson's definition, we will find Authenticity staring back at us. Being real. Being honest. And doing it for the right reasons. 

Here's my contribution to the definition of Vulnerability:

“Vulnerability is showing that we know that we don't know it all.”

Intellectually, we know we are not perfect. Emotionally, we feel we should be. Being constantly bombarded with the shiny veneer of other peoples' lives doesn't help. We only see the good stuff because no-one ever shares the bad stuff (that would mean being vulnerable). So we feel like we're the only ones. And on and on it goes.

Perfection doesn't exist

Real opportunity lies in looking the fact of our imperfection in the face and accepting it. Remember, acceptance is not approval. You don't have to like it or be happy about it. But you can't make a plan to get to where you want to be unless you acknowledge where you actually are. (For more on the fallacy of perfection - click here).

The opportunity is that if we accept that we don't have all the answers, we start asking better questions. And once we start asking better questions, we can find better answers, and do better work.

Next week we’ll take a look at ways for leadership to build a team culture that embraces vulnerability. In the meantime, this TED Talk by Dr. Brene Brown is the best primer on the subject you’ll find:

"The Power of Vulnerability" - Dr. Brené Brown

If you want more, our podcast - Espresso Briefing - looks at vulnerability and other elements as they relate to team performance.

See you next time.