Are you ready to lead?

Occasionally I will give or take a book from one of those wooden “houses” you find on a neighbourhood street where folks share their books. It can be quite hit and miss, I often pick up a dud but today I think I may have found a gem.

“Dare to Lead” is written by Bene Brown and it challenges business owners to cultivate braver, more daring leadership and embed the value of courage in their culture. I’m only a few pages in but here’s a great extract which I think is worth sharing:

“…if we shield ourselves from all feedback, we stop growing. If we engage with all feedback, regardless of the quality and intention, it hurts too much, and we will ultimately armor-up by pretending it doesn’t hurt, or, worse yet, we’ll disconnect from vulnerability and emotion so fully that we stop feeling hurt. When we get to the place that the armor is so thick that we no longer feel anything, we experience a real death. We’ve paid for self-protection by sealing off our heart from everyone, and from everything – not just hurt, but love”.

I am already sold on the idea that vulnerability is the foundation of trust and trust is the foundation of teams. But showing vulnerability is easier said than done.

Brown introduces a method called a “Rumble”, which cues team players up to approach a difficult conversation with an open heart and mind. “We serve the work and each other, not our egos”.

Do you have experience of a rumble? How do you get through it without anyone’s ego getting damaged?