Pete Docter, the chief creative officer of Pixar Animation Studios, puts his storytelling skills to work when mentoring emerging leaders and filmmakers. He once candidly recounted the crisis of confidence he experienced while directing the film Inside Out to a group of 22 mentees in Pixar’s Leadership Mentor Program. The film revolves around a girl, and the main characters are the emotions inside her head, with Joy serving as the central character. Struggling to crack the story, Docter found himself in a three-years-long “tunnel of darkness,” as he put it: feeling like a failure, and convinced he’d be fired. In the depths of sadness and despair, he had a breakthrough realization: the Sadness character needed a more prominent role.
How Pixar Fosters a Culture of Vulnerability at Work
It starts with recognizing that some employees fear they might be penalized for sharing their stories.
March 25, 2024
Summary.
In an era where the boundary between work and personal life is increasingly blurred, navigating personal story sharing demands a nuanced approach. For workers, sharing the personal remains essential to their well-being and success, but requires an intentional and strategic approach. The way forward for leaders involves dismantling workplace paradigms that penalize some individuals for sharing with vulnerability. To harness the power of storytelling in the workplace, we must work toward eliminating structures that only favor some for sharing authentically. By dismantling these barriers, we pave the way for a more inclusive and empowering environment where the experiences of all individuals are valued and celebrated.
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New!
HBR Learning
Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging Course
Accelerate your career with Harvard ManageMentor®. HBR Learning’s online leadership training helps you hone your skills with courses like Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging. Earn badges to share on LinkedIn and your resume. Access more than 40 courses trusted by Fortune 500 companies.
How to build a better, more just workplace.