Being Awkward is a GOOD Thing! How To Be The Bravest Version Of You with Henna Pryor.
In this week's episode of the Leadership After Hours podcast, I had an amazing conversation with Henna Pryor, a renowned author, speaker, and workplace performance coach. Her recent book, "Good Awkward," has taken the world by storm, receiving rave reviews and gaining recognition from top media outlets like Business Insider, Forbes, and The Washington Post. Personally, I found the book to be incredibly insightful and thoroughly enjoyed reading it. Henna demonstrates how embracing life's awkward moments can make us more resilient, likable, and unlock our true potential.
During our discussion, Henna shared some valuable insights that I'd like to highlight:
The Spotlight Effect and Illusion of Transparency: We often find ourselves blushing with embarrassment over small mistakes or awkward moments. However, Henna reminds us that people may not even notice or quickly forget these instances as they are focused on their own lives. So, it's important to cut ourselves some slack and realize that everyone else is doing the same.
The Prattfall Effect: Contrary to what we might think, awkward moments can actually enhance our likability, charisma, and trustworthiness at work. Henna explains that our communication environments are becoming "smoothed out," thanks to filters, fake backgrounds, and grammar checkers. This lack of natural awkwardness hinders meaningful connections among colleagues. Leaders should intentionally bring up embarrassing moments, mistakes, and accidents to foster a more human connection.
Henna's quote, "We are so busy trying to get to our goals that we're not paying attention to how we best get to those goals," resonated strongly with me. It highlights the importance of investing time and effort into developing our team's mindset, as it directly impacts their performance and the overall success of the business.
One key takeaway from Henna's message is the value of intentionality. Just as we need to train with purpose in physical fitness, we should also prepare ourselves for the inevitable awkward moments that come with being human. With our environments becoming more filtered and edited, leaders can truly stand out by embracing their own awkwardness and handling it with humility, confidence, and openness. The key is to practice and make it a part of our social and mental fitness routine.
Henna Pryor's book, "Good Awkward," serves as a compelling reminder to embrace life's awkward moments and use them as opportunities for growth. It's time to break free from the constraints of perfectionism and step into our authentic selves. So, let's start practicing and unleashing our true potential!
Listen to the full conversation now: https://leadershipafterhours.buzzsprout.com