My 3 Takeaways from Brené Brown’s Netflix show ‘The call to courage’

I am such a fan of Brené Brown – ever since I heard her TED talk on vulnerability many years ago, I’ve loved what she has to say. She inspires me to up my game so that one day more of the things I’ve always cared about, like emotional integrity and the ingredients for healthy and productive relationships etc. become common culture because we are constantly talking about them.

Now Brené’s got her own Netflix show called ‘The call to courage’ and it is fantastic.
If you haven’t watched it, I urge you to go and do yourself a favour. It is a very skilled but seemingly effortless blend of surprising comedy, interesting research findings, awesome personal anecdotes and powerful almost preaching.
I laughed (a lot) and I cried a little too, but mostly I learned so much through the many ‘aha’ moments her research findings provide.

I’m still struggling to think of a fitting summary of it all – there is so much in it, I don’t want to miss or misrepresent anything.
So instead, here are 3 big  takeaways for me having watched the show:

1. Courage and vulnerability are correlated

To put yourself in a position to voluntarily choose vulnerability is to choose to leave yourself exposed and open to hurt/rejection/offense. This is not for the sake of some self-castigation or because you enjoy being in pain; this is because despite the pain, you are willing to pay the price to be better known/better loved/ better challenged.
The intent to pursue a greater goal despite the likelihood of distress/disadvantage to yourself is the very definition of courage. We all think courage is about doing big, scary things, but often the scariest thing is to really open ourselves up to be known.
Courage and vulnerability take us out of our comfort zones – they call us into deeper waters. And yes, we could drown, but more often we finally get to swim.

2. If you can’t be vulnerable with me, you can’t be my critic

Now this one really caught my attention as Brené reconnects her painful first few experiences with internet trolls following her 1st TED talk.
People can be horrible, especially those people who are not courageous enough to live vulnerable themselves, but quick to judge those who are.

The fact of the matter is: unless someone is willing to show up in your life as the true vulnerable human they are, don’t take their criticism to heart, it doesn’t matter.
Remember that while you are being courageous, which can get messy at times, but it does pay off, they are busy adjusting their masks while they prepare for another barrage of trolling – commentating but never living.

3. No vulnerability = no innovation

Innovation is linked to creativity and imagination and we can’t use our imagination if we are not willing to open ourselves up, aka be vulnerable.
As Brené mentions in her show, there are businesses that don’t get the link, and then wonder why they have no ground breaking innovation happening. But you can’t innovate if you’re not allowed to fail or be vulnerable.

In sum, vulnerability is a major key to doing life, love and work better and we need to step out in courage to do so.  

Coverart copyright of Netflix