Brown uses this term to describe an open and honest meeting in which managers and employees are able to be appropriately vulnerable with each other about their experiences and expectations in the workplace. She argues that rumbles are crucial to understanding each other’s perspectives and communicating clearly.

Brown distinguishes shame from guilt. Shame fosters feelings of unworthiness and motivates us to harm ourselves or others rather. The author reflects on shame’s role in people’s hurtful behavior and argues that encouraging empathy will resolve shame and help people’s relationships progress.

According to Brown, empathy is the ability to connect to the feelings someone else is experiencing, without necessarily suffering yourself. The author views empathy as an important part of allowing others to be vulnerable and understood.