If we want to change the compliance narrative, we need the courage to be vulnerable. Vulnerability breathes innovation. Vulnerability lifts creativity and inspires change.
Brené Brown in her inspiring TEDx talk, which to date has had 46 million views, makes it clear how important vulnerability is to us as humans.
In her follow up talk, she boldly makes the statement,
It’s interesting, for me, as someone striving to change the compliancenarrative, how true this is, but how fearful as organisations and as individuals, we are of vulnerability.
Of course I get this. With increasing regulatory rules, larger fines and personal liabilities, the fear of failure is huge.
In previous roles, I have created whole programmes around embracing fear and how this would transform the compliance narrative.
There were some successes, however along the way I experienced resistance and had large elements dismantled. What’s interesting to me is how this appeared to originate from fear itself.
Research is clear, look at the social sciences, neurophysiology, psychology, and organisational behaviour, you will find the same message, creativity and advancement comes from our ability to be vulnerable.
So, compliance colleagues, we can and need to change the narrative, but we have to do this by being vulnerable, and this in partnership with our boards, regulators and with ourselves.
