This post is part of a series on Vulnerability.  If you are new here you may want to start with this post.  

Jenny Mitchell, Chavender Inc.

If you’ve been hanging out here for awhile you know I’m a big fan of Brené Brown and her research around the value of expressing vulnerability.  So when my friend and client Jenny Mitchell of Chavender Inc.  wrote about how this video changed her view of what nonprofit board members need to do their best work  I knew I wanted to share it here.

Jenny says:

. . .with Brené’s video in mind, what kind of a Board are you building? Are you creating a sense of belonging around the table? Are you cultivating authenticity and opportunities for connections to happen? Brené talks about “excruciating vulnerability” being directly on the path towards a sense of connectedness among humans. And yet, most not-for-profit professionals would laugh out loud if I told them that I was building a “vulnerable board” to fully support my cause.

According to Brené’s definition of vulnerability, the first step towards finding a sense of belonging is to “put yourself out there and be vulnerable.” With that definition in mind, what kind of opportunities can you provide for Board members so that they experience this sense of connection?

Read the full post at Chavender.com.

While you are over there, be sure to check out some of Jenny’s other posts as well.  This one is my favorite.