4 Qualities of Wholehearted People

Nobody wants to talk about it, and the less you talk about it, the more you have it. What is it? (Answer at end…)

Brené Brown answers the riddle in her TED video below. She is a research professor/story-teller from the University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work. She studies vulnerability, courage, authenticity and shame. She has been gathering qualitative data over the past decade from her research that recently led her to explore the concept of wholeheartedness.

From her research, she has discovered:

1.  Courage to be imperfect. The word courage comes from the Latin word, cor meaning heart.  The original definition meant “to tell the story of who you are with your whole heart”. Wholehearted people have the courage to let the whole truth, including their imperfections, be known to others.

2. Compassionate to themselves and others. When we are harsh and judgmental to ourselves, do we not also treat others the same? To be compassionate with others, we must also be kind to ourselves.

3. Connection as a result of authenticity. Wholehearted people are willing to let go of who they think they should be in order to be who they really are. We all need connection. It gives purpose and meaning to our lives. As leaders, we need to fully engage with people, but shame and fear unravel connection. We wonder, “Is there something about me that if other people know and see it that I would feel unworthy of connection?”

4.  Embrace vulnerability. Vulnerability is at the core of our shame, fear and struggle for worthiness; but Brown discovered it is also the birthplace of joy, creativity, belonging and love.

The answer to the riddle mentioned above is: shame. Nobody wants to talk about shame, but the less we talk about it, the more we have it. Shame threatens wholeheartedness. The power of vulnerability is that it disarms shame. Brown shares deep insight from her research in a poignant and humorous manner. Enjoy and share.

How could you share this video with others? (watch with friends, team, small group?)

Confronting Toxicity

Reblogged from Leadership Freak:

• 

Average leaders feel successful when they get things done.

Exceptional leaders feel successful when they build exceptional places to work.

Average leaders fix and do. Exceptional leaders build.

You begin thinking leadership is all about results but come to learn it's about the way we treat each other. Results matter, but how you achieve results matters more. "Results only" is the formula for toxicity.

Read more… 269 more words

Dan has some great thoughts on toxic leadership and organizational environments. He connects the dots between two of the Leader Impact themes:  leading courageously and loving deeply. Dan Rockwell, a.k.a. Leadership Freak, writes on practical leadership in 300 words or less. Enjoy the read!

Go Getters and Go Givers

Joe is a real “go getter” but something is missing from his life and leadership. Bob Burg offers some help to Joe and to us in his book “The Go Giver”. It is a free resource for your learning and leadership. (Thanks Leadership Freak for the tip!)

Enjoy the short video that gives a fun overview of the book.

You can get the free download of the first chapter of the book here.

Are you more of “go getter” or a “go giver”? What other resources have you found helpful for your learning and leadership?

Related posts on character development:

• Mind the Gap
• Who You Gonna Call
• 5 Great Gifts
• The Transforming Power of Gratitude

younger next year

Reblogged from maturitas cafe:

When we are children, we can't wait to grow up, play with the "big guys", and enjoy the privileges that come with accumulated years of age.

It doesn't take long before we are we looking back on our years of youth with deep longing, working hard and paying plenty to stall (or at least hide) the age progression, and wishing that…

Read more… 305 more words

Terry and I recently read "Younger Next Year", and Harry's rules have become a part of our conversations. Excellent summary of the book! Check out her blog on learning and leading.

The Secret of Teams

I recently received an email from Dan Rockwell, A.K.A. Leadership Freak (his blog) regarding a great resource.

Free download of Chapter 1 of “The Secret of Teams” by Mark Miller:

Here is the link: http://bit.ly/1342KN1 (No registration required) This is a classic read for anyone working with teams!

Amazon has this review where you can order the entire book:

“Teams are critical to the success of every organization. Departmental, interdepartmental, cross-functional, ad hoc, task-specific—teams do everything from planning the office party to setting the annual budget to establishing performance goals.

But what separates the teams that really deliver from the ones that simply spin their wheels? What is the secret of high-performance teams?

Creating high-performance teams does more than just give your organization a competitive advantage. It can be a performance multiplier that significantly improves results while honoring and developing people. It may be the ultimate win-win-win that your organization is seeking.”

What resources are you aware of?  What can you share with our readers?

Related posts you might like:

• 10 Ways that People are Different
• Make Your Thoughts Visible
• The 5 Love Languages
• E-mail vs. Phone Call vs. Face-to-Face