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The Right & Wrong Place For Vulnerability In Your Business Story
Understanding vulnerability can give you an edge when you recruit and serve clients…as long as you realize, “It’s not about you.”
One time I told a story to a friendly social group. Afterward, someone later complimented me on being “vulnerable.”
I was horrified. I wasn’t being vulnerable.
I don’t remember what I shared, but I do remember I made a conscious decision to share that story with the group. I was supplying an interesting anecdote I thought the group would enjoy. And they did.
A lot of people talk about Brene Brown and her writings on vulnerability. But if you actually read her work, she never encourages readers to bare their souls, especially in business.
In fact, in her book I Thought It Was Just Me, she tells a story on herself. She shared her frustrations as a young mother with someone she thought was a friend. The friend promptly said, “I always loved being a mom.” Yeah right — every minute. In retrospect, she says, she reached out too soon.
In her book Daring Greatly, she makes an even stronger statement:
“Vulnerability is based on mutuality and requires boundaries and trust. It’s not oversharing, it’s not purging, it’s not indiscriminate disclosure, and it’s not…
