“In our political chaos, people throw around the word shameless when they see someone make a self-serving or unethical decision, and attributing unconscionable behavior to a lack of shame. This is wrong and dangerous. Shame isn’t the cure, it’s the cause. Don’t let what looks like a bloated ego and narcissism fool you into thinking there’s a lack of shame. Shame and fear are almost always driving that unethical behavior. We’re now seeing that shame often fuels narcissistic behavior. In fact, I define narcissism as the shame-based fear of being ordinary.”
― Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts.
― Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts.
“know I’m living outside my values when I am…drum roll…this is a huge issue for me…resentful. Resentment is my barometer and my early warning system. It’s the canary in the coal mine. It shows up when I stay quiet in order not to piss off someone. It shows up when I put work before my well-being, and it blows the doors off the hinges when I’m not setting good boundaries.”
― Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts.
― Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts.
“For me, that strong back is grounded confidence and boundaries. The soft front is staying vulnerable and curious. The mark of a wild heart is living out these paradoxes in our lives and not giving into the either/or BS that reduces us. It’s showing up in our vulnerability and our courage, and, above all else, being both fierce and kind.”
― Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts.
― Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts.
“acknowledge and reward great questions and instances of “I don’t know, but I’d like to find out” as daring leadership behaviors. The big shift here is from wanting to “be right” to wanting to “get it right.”
― Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts.
― Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts.
“While shame is highly correlated with addiction, violence, aggression, depression, eating disorders, and bullying, guilt is negatively correlated with these outcomes. Empathy and values live in the contours of guilt, which is why it’s a powerful and socially adaptive emotion. When we apologize for something we’ve done, make amends, or change a behavior that doesn’t align with our values, guilt—not shame—is most often the driving force.”
― Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts.
― Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts.
Jessica’s 2025 Year in Books
Take a look at Jessica’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.
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