Let’s be real — no one loves anxiety. Defined as “a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease, typically about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome”, anxiety puts us in a state of paralyzing fear. If we avoid this feeling — named experiential avoidance by behavior analysts— it can maintain or exacerbate psychological distress. From this emotional state, it is difficult to evaluate outcomes, make choices or even go about our day.

On the surface, vulnerability may seem like an innate personality trait or characteristic. However, in reality, it’s a behavior that “can absolutely be learned through training, environmental modifications and effective motivation,” says Gianna Biscontini, a board-certified behavior analyst, keynote speaker, writer and founder of the employee well-being agency W3RKWELL. Shriver agrees, noting that vulnerability “can not only be learned, but also perfected.”

“Workplace environments fail to support women who bring themselves to the office — emotions, power, opinions, empathy and everything else that make women so interesting,” added Biscontini. “Women should be actively looking for companies that demonstrably support women, have a diverse executive table, and have leadership pipelines and programs that honour caregiving responsibilities in order to create space for the women to be their best at work. You can also ask questions about these topics in an interview.

Leadership expert Gianna Biscontini tells InHerSight, “To be productive, we require a calm, alert state with clear outcomes, training-to-fluency, and the uninterrupted time to produce those results. If employees are tied to a purpose that is meaningful to them and serves their values, this can elevate productivity and protect against burnout.”

By busting limiting gender beliefs, women signal to everyone watching — if only in their own social circles — that things are continuing to grow and change, because they are continuing to grow and change. At the same time, when women live life on their terms, they empower other women to live according to what being female means to them.

The words communicators use in verbal and written communication can overturn certain modes of thinking about women and other groups, she says. “Our verbal behavior is very important” in the way people think, she says. “This comes up in PR, entertainment and media.

Strength and its traditional connotations of force and coercion, perpetuates the archaic view of strength and leadership and prevents us from moving in a more human-centered, progressive and effective direction. Because of the upheaval of the last several years, we are now starting to perceive acts of authenticity, vulnerability, compassion, humility, and emotional maturity as strong. We must also continue to build a society that rewards this behavior in all individuals, not only for the health of companies, but for the health of society.

In tumultuous times, we start to question ourselves. This can happen in relationships, communities, and at work. How did we get here? Where are we going? Who will get us there? How? The need for mindful leadership has never been more necessary.