I love crushing on a good podcast. It’s what I do while running, taking road trips or whenever I’m having a hard time falling asleep. Lately I’ve really enjoyed crushing Harvard Business Review’s Women at Work podcast.

HBR editors Amy Bernstein, Amy Gallo, and Nicole Torres interview experts at the intersection of gender in the workplace, sharing their experiences, giving tons of brilliant and insightful practical advice.

The way they describe the podcast:

“Women face gender discrimination throughout our careers. It doesn't have to derail our ambitions — but how do we prepare to deal with it? There's no workplace orientation session about narrowing the wage gap, standing up to interrupting male colleagues, or taking on many other issues we encounter at work.”

Appropriate for any audience, I really enjoyed S2, E11 on “Self Disclosure at Work.” They explore opening up in the workplace, being vulnerable, sharing our personal lives, and how that impacts trust, relationships and cohesiveness among teams.

The concept of vulnerability and sharing your personal life in the workplace can be an x-factor in building cohesive, strong, high performing teams. While it may not be for everyone, I’ve found those who can commit to exploring vulnerability and a holistic approach to work often find great connection, deeper meaning, and higher performance.

This is essentially the center of Brené Brown’s philosophy, sparking her swift rise to the top of every Leadership and Personal Growth Best Selling List. According to Brown, the key is viewing vulnerability as a strength, not as a weakness. She says the key to brave leadership is finding the courage to be open, share your story, ask for help, and model vulnerability. When leaders demonstrate this, it gives others permission to do the same, creating a culture and environment of openness and collaboration. When we lead with openness, vulnerability and empathy, it enhances connection and communication, building trust and cohesion among people.

As Margaret Wheatley so wonderfully put it, “Relationships are all there is. Everything in the universe only exists because it is in relationship to everything else. Nothing exists in isolation. We have to stop pretending we are individuals that can go it alone.” It’s time we fully lean into the power and depth of relationships — especially in the workplace. Vulnerability, openness and self disclosure is the key.

Check out HBR’s Women at Work S2, E11 on “Self Disclosure at Work” and if you like it, subscribe and explore the deep well of wisdom they’ve built.

Other episodes I’ve enjoyed are “There’s More to Gender Than Man and Woman,” “The Art of Taking Credit, ” “Managing Burnout,” and there’s a couple different episodes on parental leave too.

For more recommended podcasts to crush, check out my Inspiration & Resources page.

-RW

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