Lessons in Vulnerability

Brene Brown rocketed to business stardom with her TED Talk on vulnerability; specifically, that leadership without the ability and willingness to be authentic and candid about one’s self is rarely seen as leadership.  But, like everything else, there’s a right and wrong way for a leader to display vulnerability.

If you want to be effectively and authentically vulnerable as a leader, check out this conversation between Dr. Brown and Wharton Business School’s Adam Grant in which she offers an important nuance on leadership and vulnerability that may help you avoid crossing the line between “authenticity and self-absorption”.

With the simplicity and clarity that has made her TED Talk and books so popular, she shows us “How to be vulnerable at work without spilling everything, from Brine Brown.  Her six word formula for doing so is profound. If you’re like most people and need more Brene-inspired leadership knowledge, check out her podcast that debuted last fall, Dare to Lead.

Impostor Syndrome

Maya Angelou, one of the 20th Century’s most resonant figures, wrote poems that were adored by millions. Even so, she often felt like an imposter. “I have written 11 books but each time I think ‘Uh-oh, they’re going to find out now,” she once said. “I’ve run a game on everybody, and they’re going to find me out.’”

The term “imposter syndrome” was coined in 1978 by clinical psychologists Pauline Clance and Suzanne Imes. They wrote that it’s a feeling of “phoniness in people who believe that they are not intelligent, capable or creative despite evidence of high achievement.”  These people are motivated to achieve, but they’re worried that they’ll be discovered as frauds.

Imposter syndrome is stunningly common — 70 percent of people will experience these feelings at some point in their lives, research suggests.

Imposter syndrome has no bias for job, seniority, race, or gender. But it can be especially tough for new CEOs, who have put in years of work and now sit at the top, which can be a very lonely place indeed.

Luckily, there are ways for CEOs to realize the truth: They are not imposters.

Coming Out of the Crisis: Stronger and Strategically Aligned

It goes without saying that the events of the year 2020 will forever change the global economic landscape. The ramifications of a global pandemic and the shifts in economies and work forces will be felt for years to come. For the business community, this means that leaders are having to re-evaluate priorities like never before; and are basically having to re-invent ideas on a near daily basis.

James O’Gara, CEO and Founder of OnMessage (a strategic B2B consultation firm) has some good advice for those in the midst of this struggle. His piece in Texas CEO Magazine outlines six strategic questions to ask yourself as a business leader in order to emerge from this crisis in a position of strength and clarity. Check out these strategies (along with a few other pearls of wisdom), and see what it means for business owners and C-suite leadership everywhere.