A dip into Brené Brown's Strong Ground: Part 2

Finding Your Doorway into the Work

A dip into Brené Brown's Strong Ground and what grounded confidence means for leaders in Aotearoa New Zealand

Brown explores what we mean by 'executive presence'. Are we all talking about the same thing? BBRG research found traits like gravitas, appearance, and style aren't predictors of daring leadership. They found the core underpinnings of daring leadership are training, discipline, and mastery. When I read this, I felt a sense of relief. I've always baulked at the idea of putting on a tailored jacket to look the part and watched with genuine curiosity when I see a leader steeped in appearance and saying the right thing, because some of the best people I've ever been led by haven't looked like that. They've been real, raw, honest, capable, and caring. So, page 218 really resonated with me: "In my experience, the most compelling leaders are those who show respect for others by being prepared, who show courage by demonstrating a learner mindset, and who show confidence by demonstrating humility." Brené Brown, Strong Ground, p. 218

But this is a complex set of skills that requires intentional cultivation, which requires time, effort, and energy.

The Quick Fix and the Long Game

We live in a world where we all want a quick fix. We want to use technology just to get things done, and don't get me wrong, I love that too. There's nothing more I love than getting my household whirring in the morning with machines doing domestic tasks that a hundred years ago would have been a full-time job.

But there are some things that still require our attention. Critical human performance skills need disciplined execution on a daily basis to maintain. Think of the woodcutter "sharpening the saw", he spends 50% of his time cutting trees and 50% sharpening his tools. Nobody questions an athlete's need to train for 80% of their week for a performance that is a fraction of that time. The difference for our leaders is we are asking them to show up every day and perform for 8–10 hours. How and when are they sharpening their skills?

Grounded confidence theory suggests we use kettlebell-type workouts, those that tap into many areas of skill development at once. I love this idea as I frequently intentionally layer many change intervention strategies into one activity. So, my clients do one thing while strengthening many. I want to push this one step further. I want us to notice how we can strengthen our skills whilst we do our work, but that means we need to increase our self-awareness and notice the lower-risk moments for intentional practice during leadership performance. Your Everyday Doorway.

Ask any leader how much time is spent on conversations to iron out problems often caused by misconceptions or miscommunication. These are your moments to practise some core skills you're aiming to acquire or sharpen. I've done this myself. I've selected some core ways of being in my communication and showing up that I've set across all my interactions, not just my working day. And I'll be honest, I think my life's a whole lot better for it.

This is part of my ongoing series of short dives into Strong Ground by Brené Brown, one idea at a time, with my own lens on what it means for leaders in Aotearoa New Zealand.