On the importance of Vulnerability

How often do you get naked with your clients or team?  Not literally of course, but in the sense of being vulnerable?

That's the subject of Patrick Lenconi's latest book "Getting Naked."   I enjoyed Lenconi's other books, particularly "The Five Dysfunctions of a Team and "Silos, Politics, and Turf Wars." 

As I read his latest fable - which talks about the importance of vulnerability and brazen honesty in consulting - I found myself thinking back to the moments when I had been brazen and/or vulnerable.

- The time I decided to take a risk by eschewing the "sales process" and simply walk in to a new client meeting cold - ready to begin consulting on the spot and give us a chance to feel each other out - without any masks.

- The time I turned to a coaching client, three sessions in, and acknowledged "this isn't working well - is it?" giving us an opportunity to change the way we worked together. (Which we did.)

- The team building session where I made a mistake, and then chose to point it out - using it as a teaching opportunity rather than glossing over it.

I enjoyed "Getting Naked" because after reading it, I realized the best moments in my own consulting have been those where I followed the principles that Lenconi described.

Perhaps another way of putting it is "Getting Courageous."  In order to do our best by the people we serve, sometimes we need to take risks.

If you'd like to check out the book - here is the link.

Comments

[girloutatexas]

I've always been impressed by this as well. Thanks for the post!