Brene' Brown is a research professor at the University of Houston. From her bio - "She has spent the past ten years studying vulnerability, courage, authenticity, and shame. Brené spent the first five years of her decade-long study focusing on shame and empathy..."In her most recent TED talk, Brene' shared that she has been frequently asked by corporations to come and speak. But they don't want her to mention vulnerability or shame -- they want her to speak about innovation, change, and creativity. In Brene's words,
"...vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation, creativity, and change”
“...adaptability to change is all about vulnerability”
"...vulnerability is emotional risk, exposure, uncertainty... vulnerability is our most accurate measurement of courage"
To really participate in change, you need to be able to set your ego aside and be open -- be vulnerable. And, be kind to yourself,
"shame is the gremlin that says unh-unh, you're not good enough..."
And, from Teddy Roosevelt, dare greatly,
"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat."