Vulnerability -
business clique
AN ACT OF COURAGE OR
BUSINESS DEATH?
Let’s face it, life is complex. We live in a world of bustle and bustle,
constant change and ever-increasing demands on our time.
P
Angela Henderson, from Angela
eople are burning out at
extraordinary rates and
chronic diseases are at
pandemic levels.
Henderson Consulting, believes this old
way of doing business has to change.
“With small business dominating the
economy, and with 33% of those business
Something has to give. Or we will be
crushed under the weight of the 21st
century.
Yet, we put on a brave face every day,
we suck it up, show up on social
media with our happy smiles,
flurry of social events, looking like
all is right in the world.
This façade of fake it till you make
it is like a poison that is leaching
the life from our souls. All this
pretend is not serving us well.
Perhaps it is time to let down the
barriers, to be vulnerable, to let
people in.
For those who come from a
being started and run by women, it is
time to change how we interact with each
other,” she said.
“ Mental health in small
business is something
we do not talk about
enough, more and more
corporate background, this advice
could be a career killer. Keeping
people are suffering"
business and personal separate
has been vital to ongoing success.
The thought of going into the
office and sharing a parenting failure or
something personal was (is) a corporate
no no. Especially for women.
Being vulnerable conjures up images of
wailing and nashing of teeth. Of weeping
at your cubicle, while everyone backs
away. We’ve been brought up with sayings
‘big boys don’t cry’, ‘pull up your big girl’s
pants’, and ‘business is business, it’s not
personal’.
“We cannot afford to keep stifling how we
feel, how we share our victories and failures,
and being transparent. Vulnerability makes
us approachable, human, humble, and
honest and in the small business space this
translate into powerful relationships.”
Throughout her small business journey,
and now as a consultant to other small
businesses, Angela knows how hard it is
to walk that fine line between sharing
enough and oversharing. “It is so easy to
show the slick and together side of business.
Social media makes it easy to do this; no
one ever really knows anyone. We are
all ‘friends’ but rarely do we share those
moments that help us grown and really
connect,” she said.
“As I have grown in business, I have
developed the most amazing business
relationships by sharing the bad as
well as the good. As humans, we cannot
always have to be together. There has
to be space to be real in business. The
game face can only serve us for so long
before we crumble.
“Mental health in small business
is something we do not talk about
enough. More and more people are
suffering, and I think this is because we
feel we cannot show weakness or talk
about real things.
“Brene Brown believes there is power
in being vulnerable. While for many,
being vulnerable conjures fear and
shame, at its heart is acceptance,
forgiveness and ownership. If we
can all just take a step back and
stop judging each other, embrace our
vulnerabilities, we will accomplish so
much more.”
So, it is OK to be vulnerable in business,
to let clients and social media followers
know when things are not rosy? But how
much should you share? Do people really
want to know warts and all? Can sharing
help or hinder your business?
It is the age of the authentic brand. People
want to connect with others on a deeper
Women’s Network Magazine
43