I think of being vulnerable and it makes me think of being courageous. I didn’t always think of it that way. I thought being vulnerable was being weak, easily taken advantage of.
In business we are told never to show being vulnerable. Even in the commercials we heard the message “Never let them see you sweat” because if we are vulnerable we are weak; we will be taken advantage of, you will be over looked for that promotion, and you will not be valuable..
It takes a huge amount of courage to truly be vulnerable.
When I think of key leaders in our history I think of people like Mother Teresa and
Martin Luther King. Both showed huge vulnerability, they both brought great value to our world and showed great courage.
Being vulnerable has played a big part in my life. For many years I was, and have been worried about saying the right things, doing the right things, and being right. Because of that for a long time I forgot, or maybe I never knew, what being real meant. The real me, down to the core of who I am.
I am reflecting on how does it affect us when we are not being real, and what is the correlation to being vulnerable and valuable?
For me, a lot! What I have come to understand is that I get to be vulnerable, and be the real me. Not worry about what is right for everyone else, and to do what is right for me.
“To value myself”. It has allowed me to find my inner voice.
As a coach if I worry about being right or wrong I am not able to be there for the client. I now have a #1 rule; No one gets to be wrong. There is so much power in that.
This allows for vulnerability for myself, and others.
I am not talking about morally right or wrong; I am talking about core value right.
I have also come to understand it shows up in everything, the individual strength to be vulnerable and valued, the team’s willingness to be vulnerable and valued, and the system of the whole organization to be vulnerable and valued.
It takes a lot of courage, and I am choosing to see the value in that!
Coaches Challenge: To be vulnerable for one hour, then one day, then one week, then a month, then a year, then a life time. To be who you were meant to be down to the core of who you are, to live a life of fulfillment, to find your inner voice and to show and teach others along your journey.
Please share your thoughts and feelings.