Brene Brown is a ‘researcher-storyteller’ and this is very open and honest talk on how vulnerability is necessary for connection. Her ideas are drawn from observations of individuals and they are applicable to all kinds of relationships, including those involved in community-led development. For example, what people with strong effective connections have in common is:

• courage, the courage to not be perfect
• the compassion to be kind to themselves first and then to others
• connection as a result of authenticity, because they are willing to let go of who they thought they ‘should’ be, in order to be who they really are
• they embraced vulnerability.

Listen to it all at the TED website.

Added May 2011