I’ve been thinking a lot about vulnerability lately. I had two speaking opportunities which have shaped my point of view and have deepened my interest in this topic.
The first opportunity was to speak at BD Somani International’s TedX event last month. The topic was Zeitgeist: The Spirit of our Times. The organizers suggested that I may talk about branding, leadership or creativity. Originally, I was thinking about personal branding. But I’ve spoken on this topic way too many times now. I needed to find a new thread that was relevant but different. A chance discussion with a colleague in London who leads our global thought leadership initiatives got me excited about the idea of vulnerability. The TedX platform is one where individuals typically share personal stories so I reflected on vulnerability and realised that it had actually been an invisible force for me over the span of my two decades plus career.
In my TedX talk, I talk about three themes that have shaped my career: Brand and Design, Creativity and Leadership. I share one story of my vulnerability related to each theme and how I overcame my struggles. I then ask the audience to reflect on whether vulnerability can be their superpower and what that would entail in terms of behaviours.
The second opportunity to speak was when MMA Global invited me to deliver a keynote presentation at their MMA Global IMPACT India conference in Mumbai in the end of May. The theme of their conference was Winning Marketing Organisations 2.0: Rethink, Relearn, Rebuild. I thought it might be interesting to explore how vulnerability might be useful to an organisation in transformation.
Thus was born my keynote on vulnerability for brands: Can vulnerability be your superpower? My talk is from 4:36:24 in the video which has the whole conference recorded. So you can check out some of the other talks from the same link as well.
In my MMA Global Impact India 2023 keynote, I outline three ways in which organisations can deploy vulnerability to aid in business transformation:
Define the brand in the boldest possible terms.
Embed vulnerability deeply in the culture
Drive daring innovation in the brand experience
I share examples of what companies are doing in each of these three areas and pose questions to the audience on what it might mean for their organisations. I end with showing how authenticity, transparency and trust which are the outcomes of acts of vulnerability can make your brand stronger. And how strong brands drive business success.
Both of my talks are rooted in Brene Brown’s ideology which I full subscribe to:
“Vulnerability is not weakness. That myth is profoundly dangerous. Vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation, creativity and change.”
In a world that is full of existential challenges and intractable problems to be solved by humanity, we need less hubris and quest for perfection. We need an approach which is a lot more humble, grounded, open, collaborative and brave. We need to take more risks and not be afraid of the unknown. We should not disheartened by failure and overtly bothered by what others think of us.
While vulnerability can be very difficult, I strongly believe it is a direct root to authenticity which is sorely the need of the hour for both organisations and individuals.
Over to you now:
What does vulnerability mean to you?
Where in your personal life can you deploy it more?
Which parts of your organization might benefit from more vulnerability?