Daring leaders, on the other hand, cultivate a much healthier workplace culture, by entrusting, learning, sharing – and therefore inspiring. Armoured leaders are those who cannot accept their vulnerability and who, in shielding themselves in an image of perfection, become unapproachable, unlikeable, and authoritarian. Which are You?Īrmoured Leadership and Daring Leadershipīrown sketches out two different leadership styles, one best avoided and the other to be engaged. There are Four Leadership Personality Styles. In Brown’s words, the best way to do this is to ‘rumble with vulnerability’ – to remove the armour that we put up to convince others that we are not scared or to hide the fact that, really, we don’t know a solution.ĭo you want to learn about your leadership personality style? Click here… But, as noted above, what’s essential to a daring leader is the way that you deal with your fear. Her arguments are based on a seven-year study, which brought in 150 leaders, fifty organisations made up of over ten thousand people, and MBA students from three major US business schools – numbers which suggest there’s something of value in the research!įrom the surveys, the need for bravery in leadership and business cultures came out as one of the most sought-after qualities. Daring to be Vulnerableįirstly, a little about Brown’s work. Here, we’ll look at two of the main techniques that Brown outlines in Dare to Lead – which focus on working effectively with your team.

To be a better leader at work, that’s what you need to do too. Rather, according to Brown, they accept their weakness, vulnerability, and potential for fault – to the benefit of their business, their own leadership, and the culture, well-being, and strength of their whole team. But it is how we deal with fear that becomes the crucial problem to be solved by budding leaders.īecause the most daring leaders do not insist on their own superiority, infallibility, or brilliance. She acknowledges that it takes guts and courage to be vulnerable in business.

She begins by acknowledging that leading is scary. What does a successful leader look like these days, then? This is the question that the research professor and author, Brené Brown – whose TED Talk went viral with nearly thirty-eight million views – asks in her latest book, Dare to Lead.

And when you decide to be a better leader at work, your teams will improve too. I have discussed the ‘structural’ importance of culture in my article The Yacht Test. Your leadership creates the culture in your business. To Be a Better Leader at Work, You Need to Embrace Your Vulnerability.

Dare to be great brene brown