Brené with Lisa Lahey on Immunity to Change, Part 2 of 2 - Dare to Lead with Brené Brown Recap

Podcast: Dare to Lead with Brené Brown

Published: 2022-11-28

Duration: 1 hr 6 min

Guests: Lisa Lahey

Summary

Brené Brown continues her deep dive with Lisa Lahey into the Immunity to Change framework, using her personal challenges as a case study. They explore how hidden commitments and assumptions can block personal and professional growth.

What Happened

Brené Brown begins by highlighting the unexpected insights she gained from her conversation with Lisa Lahey about her own resistance to change. Lisa Lahey, a faculty member at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and co-author of 'Immunity to Change,' guides Brené through the process of identifying the hidden commitments that hinder her personal and organizational goals.

Brown identifies her need to have more disciplined, scheduled meetings to alleviate her feelings of being overwhelmed by constant demands. Lahey helps her uncover that her resistance to scheduling stems from a fear of losing her creativity and freedom, which she associates with structured time.

The conversation delves into the concept of 'hidden competing commitments' as Lahey helps Brown understand that her behaviors are not failures but protective mechanisms. This revelation leads Brown to recognize that her behaviors, while once beneficial, are no longer serving her in her current phase of life.

Brown and Lahey discuss the importance of testing assumptions that limit our beliefs about what's possible. Brown realizes that her assumption that discipline and creativity are mutually exclusive is unfounded, and she considers how discipline in other areas of her life has actually enhanced her creativity.

Throughout the episode, Lahey emphasizes the need to approach change with self-compassion and to use intentional action as a means to learn about and challenge one's limiting assumptions. Brown commits to experimenting with new meeting structures to learn if they can coexist with her creative process.

The episode closes with Lahey encouraging listeners to engage with the Immunity to Change framework themselves, highlighting chapter nine of the book as a resource for those interested in mapping their own change processes.

Key Insights

• The Immunity to Change framework helps individuals identify 'hidden competing commitments' that unconsciously hinder their progress towards goals. These commitments often act as protective mechanisms against perceived threats.
• Resistance to structured scheduling can stem from a fear of losing creativity and freedom, as seen when individuals associate structured time with a loss of spontaneity.
• Testing assumptions about the relationship between discipline and creativity can reveal that they are not mutually exclusive. In many cases, discipline in certain areas can enhance creative processes.
• Chapter nine of 'Immunity to Change' serves as a practical resource for individuals interested in mapping their own change processes, providing guidance on how to engage with the framework effectively.