Definition
Brené Brown is a research professor at the University of Houston, and has spent two decades studying vulnerability, shame and courage. Her TEDx talk 'The Power of Vulnerability' from 2010 is among the most watched ever, and 'Daring Greatly' (2012) is the book that made the argument known.
Her definition is tighter than everyday use of the word. Vulnerability is not sharing feelings; it is uncertainty, risk and emotional exposure. Putting forward a proposal that may be rejected is vulnerable. Saying 'I don't know' in a room where everyone expects you to know is vulnerable. The point is not that it feels good, but that nothing we call trustTrust - one of Tvimenning's core values and foundation for long-term customer relationships in the energy sector., collaboration or innovation happens without it.
'Dare to Lead' (2018) brings this into working life, and there sits the sentence hardest to live by: clear is kind, unclear is unkind. Softening a message to spare someone feels considerate in the moment and in practice hands them the work. The opposite reaction Brown calls armour: the polished front, the emphatic answer, always being the smartest in the room. Armour looks strong and makes the organisation dumber.