I want to thank Lara for bringing up the notion of “vulnerability” and connecting it with our leadership stories. I deem vulnerability means showing other people the softer and weaker part of your heart. It also involves the feeling of trust or expecting to be trusted. I used to be a girl that refused to show other people my vulnerable aspect. I wanted to show that I was strong enough to face and handle everything well. Although this disposition had helped me accomplish many seemed-impossible tasks, I was easier to be desperate when I did not handle something well. When I learnt to show the vulnerable part to someone, I felt being understood and gained a lifelong friend. Therefore, I could completely resonate with the words of Lara “we need to allow us to be seen, really seen”.
The other important message of Lara’s story is “label”. Actually, I am trying to influence the students of mine, though all of them are adult learners, that do not label other people. In another word, do not judge other people, even if he/she is your close friend or relatives. Gail Tolstoi-Miller mentions in the TEDx Talks (2017) that due to the mechanisms of our brain which designs the way we think and act, we are naturally to judge people for saving the energy for thinking. Since we were born in that way, it would be crucial for us to keep self-awareness of our thoughts and conclusions. Apparently, labelling other people is the easiest way for us to “know” them. We need to realize that it is a disrespectful attitude we are adopting, and in turn, we could change this bad habit and remind others when they are labelling people.
At last, I would like to end with what Lara said in her video:” The more honest we are, the more vulnerable and courageous we will be, the more we can learn from each other.” I have learnt so much from other classmates and the professor in this course. Thank you all for having this precious journey with me.
Reference
TEDx Talks. (2017, May 4). Unconscious bias: Stereotypical hiring practices. | Gail Tolstoi-Miller | TEDxLincolnSquare. [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCFb4BiDDcE