The Example of Vulnerability
Albert Bandura believed that one way in which we learn is by observing. He believed that children learn how to do a lot of things by observing the adults around them and doing what they do, in the way that they do it. The reality is that some adults will tell a child to do as they say and not as they do. The truth is that we have not seen vulnnerability being modelled.
In our households we have not seen our fathers being vulnerable with us or our mothers. Our mothers are our pillars of strength and our protectors. We only get to see their vulnerability when we're older. In church it is rare to see people in leadearship positions being vulnerable. Instead we are encouraged to be open about our lives; but how are you going to open up to people you don't trust and people you can't see as being human just like you?
As humans we tend to want to experience other people's vulnerability but we don't want to be vulnerable. And some might argue that trust needs to be established before one is able to be open. But according to Brené Brown, this is a chicken-or-the-egg issue: we need to feel trust to be vulnerable and we need to be vulnerable in order to trust.
My challenge this week is to anyone who is in a leadership position to start modelling vulnerability. Anybody can be in a leadership position, even being an older sibling makes you a leader. I'm even challenging myself here. Research has shown that an act of vulnerability is perceived as courageous by team members and inspires others to follow suit. So let's be brave and courageous together. Let's change the way that others learn about vulnerability.
In our households we have not seen our fathers being vulnerable with us or our mothers. Our mothers are our pillars of strength and our protectors. We only get to see their vulnerability when we're older. In church it is rare to see people in leadearship positions being vulnerable. Instead we are encouraged to be open about our lives; but how are you going to open up to people you don't trust and people you can't see as being human just like you?
As humans we tend to want to experience other people's vulnerability but we don't want to be vulnerable. And some might argue that trust needs to be established before one is able to be open. But according to Brené Brown, this is a chicken-or-the-egg issue: we need to feel trust to be vulnerable and we need to be vulnerable in order to trust.
My challenge this week is to anyone who is in a leadership position to start modelling vulnerability. Anybody can be in a leadership position, even being an older sibling makes you a leader. I'm even challenging myself here. Research has shown that an act of vulnerability is perceived as courageous by team members and inspires others to follow suit. So let's be brave and courageous together. Let's change the way that others learn about vulnerability.