Humbled, Confused, Fired-up...and Vulnerable

2020 has been a whirlwind, and we are days away from hitting the halfway mark. This year continues to teach us many things; especially since we're only 5.5 mos in, yet it feels like nearly half a decade. As my 4.5 y/o son refers to everything as either "before coronavirus " (aka B.C.) or "when coronavirus is over" (A.D.?? -- as if it'll come to an abrupt end like an abusively bad episode and jingle from Lab Rats, it's been on repeat for 3 months, I solely blame his 7.5 y/o sister), it really helps me to understand that at a young age we are taught the simple measure of beginnings and endings. We have green lights and red lights, graduation ceremonies to signify starts and finales, and we close the chapter on both books and life experiences, without looking back, all too often (thanks Facebook memories and icloud storage). Yet, there's something that most people fail to embrace. As we experience a global pandemic, onslaught racial outrage and continued oppression, and of course a recession...combined with an election year, there's something that fuels us all in different ways that alternatively brings us back to the same intersection: the crossways of dealing with emotions and embracing them.

One of the key themes that I notice with business partners, esteemed clients, teams I manage, colleagues I speak with, and the chatbots (read: people) I engage with on GrubHub, Instacart, and IT/customer service departments overseas is that "business professionals" (read: people) are starting to accept that it's perfectly human to showcase emotions (thank you, quarantine??!). We are restless, anxious, angry, flustered, scared, happy, and every other emotion that we learned about from Roger Hargreaves as children. However, as we approach the season of fireworks, eating hotdogs (whether it's made from tofu, beef, pork, or $BYND- disclaimer: investor), there's one key trait that really keeps on popping and lighting-up both the skies (filled with Black Lives Matter signs and flags, Confederate statues coming down, or tear gas emanating on Pennsylvania Avenues) and our guts (not exclusively due to quarantine carb loading or abnormally high alcohol consumption)...that is more American than both baseball and apple pie. What am I referring to...? Oh, it's simple, yet has taken two paragraphs and probably 2-3 minutes of your time to identify the elephant in the room....VULNERABILITY.

[blasphemy] Oh my gosh, Heavens to Betsy, I can't believe a white man, weeks away from being 40, in a mid-to-high profile corporate position, just admitted this on LinkedIn! Many people equate vulnerability as a sign of weakness, fear of the unknown, and overall insecurity. I vehemently disagree! My (and hopefully your) darker pigmented friends and colleagues have been vulnerable for decades (and, more often than not, this hasn't been due to choice). Due to white fragility, corporate conservatism, and frankly esoteric ideologies in most industries, vulnerability has been something that's been swept under the rug (along w/ failing to rebrand Mrs. Butterworth, Aunt Jemima, Uncle Ben, Eskimo Pies, the Washington Redskins, Cleveland Indians, and the list goes on and on). Here's looking at you big CPGs and professional sports!

As I'm fortunate to work at a progressive company, that is observing an unofficial holiday on the 19th of June (that has been lost on white people (like myself) for generations), it's important to recognize that vulnerability is based on emotions and expressing them. We can't experience the feelings and insecurities, amongst each and every person, but we all share the common DNA of not knowing everything and understanding that empathy is what keeps humanity in check. (I'm not black, I'm not brown, I'm not a female but it takes a lot of chutzpah to write something so personal and powerful like "What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Blacker" by Damon Young - please read it). The reason I'm employed, at Adobe, is because of the tools and software that provides children, adults, designers, hobbyists, entertainers, and brand marketers with the ability to use digital strokes and keys to create and tell stories through sights and sounds. Entertainment and creativity are wonderful accouterments that fill our time and help us define and embrace experiences.

The main reason for this post is to imbibe, you, the reader, for now several moments (thank you). I have a hidden secret for my network and beyond. True leadership is entrenched with recognizing that vulnerability is a sign of strength. (Yes, yes, pull up a chair, welcome those that are new to this club, punch and pie is in the back of the room, along with some tissues, and the bathroom is down the hall). Whether it's doing our damndest to stick up and use our voices to change societal and racial injustice (disclaimer: there's not an end date announced, so buckle in and let people breathe), coping with ways to deal with a global pandemic and systemic racism (Ben & Jerry's - yes, this is meant as a double entendre), or how to help our friends and families that have gone through job changes during a recession (send me a PM or please comment on this post- I am here to help, and so is my network!!), all while understanding that you can't control everyone else's thoughts. However, you CAN address others' opinions and feelings, and by showcasing empathy, regret, remorse, and even rage, you will be able to make a difference and make people feel a bit at ease, whether it's for a moment... or a lifetime. Be vulnerable and use your power; this consists of your voice, your network, and your words and actions. Be selfless and stand-up to acknowledge that you're committed to making an impact- each and every morning you rise up. As this will, undoubtedly, improve other people's lives. Be humble. Show compassion. Fight for what's right.

The best leaders are the ones that show vulnerability during times of change and periods of unrest. They are the ones that aren't afraid to be themselves and, frankly, can admit that they just don't have the answers but they'll do their damndest to listen to their teams, their communities, their tribes, and society...to help figure shit out and come up with solutions.

Please feel free to comment, share, and clap back to spark a discussion. Showcase ways that you, as leaders, as business people, as agents of change and students of life can be or will showcase more vulnerability...I'm here to help and learn along the way.