Vulnerability and Connection in Leadership | 23min snip from Lenny's Podcast: Product | Growth

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How to build deeper, more robust relationships | Carole Robin (Stanford GSB professor, “Touchy Feely”)

Lenny's Podcast: Product | Growth | Career

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CHAPTER

Vulnerability and Connection in Leadership

This chapter explores the importance of vulnerability in building deeper relationships and effective leadership. It introduces the '15% rule' for pushing comfort boundaries and discusses the balance required between emotional openness and professionalism. Through anecdotes and discussions on emotional dynamics, the chapter emphasizes the necessity of appropriate self-disclosure and the recognition of underlying feelings to foster trust and collaboration in professional settings.

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Carole Robin spent over 20 years teaching the Stanford Graduate School of Business course Interpersonal Dynamics, affectionately known as “Touchy Feely.” After leaving Stanford, she founded a nonprofit called Leaders in Tech, which applies the Touchy Feely principles to help Silicon Valley executives build their leadership and interpersonal skills. Carole co-authored the popular book Connect: Building Exceptional Relationships with Family, Friends, and Colleagues, which shares key insights from her decades of teaching these courses. In our conversation, we discuss:

• The benefits of building robust relationships, in life and work

• The 15% rule, and how it will help you build better relationships

• The power of vulnerability

• Examples of how to practice vulnerability

• Why mental models you build early in life hold you back later

• The “three realities” and “the net”

• The art of inquiry

• Practical tips for avoiding defensiveness when getting feedback

• The impact of long Covid on Carole’s life

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