Given the furor over the movie Fifty Shades of Grey, you may wonder what a review of a
book titled Getting Naked is doing in a professional coach’s repertoire. Because we all do it every day and if we can embrace it physically then we can embrace it mentally and become a stronger leader.
“I have to get naked to be a better leader?” You’ve imagined an audience in their underwear to overcome presentation jitters. Is this that far of a leap?
Of course you know that neither I nor Patrick Lencioni, the author of the book, is referring to being physically naked with our colleagues and clients. Business isn’t that liberated. Plus it would be highly distracting. What Lencioni is referring to in this business fable is vulnerability.
The full title of the book is Getting Naked: A Business Fable About Shedding The Three Fears That Sabotage Client Loyalty. Lencioni uses a fable as the format for many of his books, weaving a story that draws you in, making for an easy read or listen. Story is also a great method of teaching or learning, as you have more than a formula or lecture to grasp for the message to be absorbed.
The lead character in the story is one that many can relate to, making it that much easier to continue reading or listening. I kept looking for reasons to commute (audio-version)! I won’t give away the story, but I will share the three fears that the book turns on its head. These points will make you uncomfortable and yet curious enough to get a copy or audio download of the book. You wouldn’t want to be caught naked AND unprepared now, would you?
- Fear of losing the business
- Fear of being embarrassed
- Fear of feeling inferior
What the three fears have in common is that they cause us to act in ways that prevent us from fully embracing the needs of our clients. We think we are doing right by managing around these fears. Yet just as the adage says, the thing we fear most is what we will cause to occur.
Get a copy of this book, defeat the fears and build lifetime clients.