A new courage culture is needed in the workplace to address current turmoil.
Blurred lines between personal and professional life have led to oversharing and lost emotional professionalism, argues adland veteran Jane Waterhouse.
During her candid solo spot at Cannes in Cairns last month, Waterhouse delivered a thought-provoking session challenging the prevailing views on vulnerability in a workplace context, titled ‘Why Brené Brown Makes Me Frown’.
Addressing Cannes in Cairns delegates, she acknowledged the polarising effect of Brené Brown’s work, stating: “You’re probably here for one of two reasons, either you love Brené Brown and you’re appalled that anyone could frown on her work, or you’re like me, and you can hold two opposing thoughts.”
An American professor, social worker, author and podcast host, Brown is known for her work on shame, vulnerability, and leadership, and shot to fame for her widely viewed 2010 TEDx talk on the subject where Brown clearly links vulnerability to courage. The talk went on to earn more than 65 million views.
Waterhouse, who has worked across adland, from Ogilvy+ Mather and The Campaign Palace, to Weight Watchers, Bauer Media Group and Are Media, emphasised the need to challenge the overreach of vulnerability, suggesting it overshadows critical aspects of personal agency and fortitude.
The Sydney headquartered leader argued that the workplace culture of vulnerability that was influenced by Brown’s teachings needed to be updated with a new set of rules for a radically different world.
“Talking about personal struggles and vulnerability has its place, particularly for building trust with teams but in today’s tumultuous world, focusing solely on our inner fragile nature may not be as productive and it’s causing strain on leaders,” she said.
Candid Waterhouse admitted spending “a lot of time at work in the early 90s crying in the bathroom”. Granted, a creative director who threw a phone book at her as he didn’t want to make a change a client had requested, would do that to you – and thankfully there’s been a change in leadership to a much more empathetic and respectful manner of leading.
“Look, I’ve cried with stress. I’ve done a lot of things wrong, but the one thing that I’ve continued to do right is that I’ve turned up. I’ve learnt how to fail, and I’ve learned how to get up and to show up.
Reflecting on her extensive career in media and publishing, Waterhouse recounted the evolution of leadership styles from the harsh demands of the past to a more empathetic approach today. She highlighted the impact of societal changes and technological advancements, particularly the blurred boundaries between personal and professional lives exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The pandemic lifted the veil on personal lives,” Waterhouse said, revealing more especially of the 25–30-year-olds who are referred to by Professor Jonathan Haidt as The Anxious Generation due to the fact they have the highest incidence of anxiety and depression that any other generation.
She expressed concern over the psychological safety of employees and the increasing expectation for workplaces to address the increasing emotional needs.
Waterhouse offered five practical tools to restore emotional professionalism in the workplace. These included fostering personal agency, embracing tough choices, building spiritual muscle by going higher in times of crisis, learning from innate feminine leadership skills and emphasising the importance of community and identity in fostering strength and stability.
Drawing from contemporary leadership theories, Waterhouse advocated for a shift towards a new courage culture that balances emotional intelligence with resilience. She referenced Nicholas Janni’s book “Leader as Healer,” promoting a leadership style that encourages guardrails to allow people to fail and get back up.
Concluding her session, Waterhouse called for a workplace culture where courage is not equated with vulnerability but stands on its own merit. She urged leaders to adopt a clear-eyed approach to challenges, fostering environments where honesty and candour propel both individuals and organisations forward.
As she wrapped up, Waterhouse reiterated Slingshot Media’s commitment to transparency and open dialogue, stating: “We believe truth is a weapon at Slingshot. Clear is kind and unclear is unkind.” Her session left attendees with a renewed perspective on vulnerability and resilience in today’s rapidly evolving workplaces.
