Written by Lindsay K. Coy, M. Sc., Senior Consultant
The concept of vulnerable leadership is gaining recognition in today’s modern workplace as a catalyst to develop trust, innovation, and growth across your team. Leading with vulnerability is not about flaunting personal weakness, but rather about embracing authenticity and courage. It’s about creating a culture where vulnerability at work is seen as a strength to enhance interpersonal connections and empower teams to perform at their best. Emphasizing the importance of vulnerability in leadership can create additional benefits like increased workplace resilience and enhanced collaboration.
Why is vulnerability important in leadership?
As leaders, we have the power to decide the direction that our organizations are moving in, the power to determine the strategy our team is going to adopt, and the power to do what we believe is best for our organizations and our teams. While this is a privilege and an honor, it does not dictate that we display unwavering strength and self-reliance. This belief that vulnerability in leadership is a weakness overlooks its transformative power.
All too frequently, leaders assume they must independently generate and drive innovations, serve as subject matter experts, and immediately know the solutions to emerging problems. These assumptions establish unrealistic expectations and limit collaboration. By embracing vulnerability as a strength in leadership, we create environments where teams can freely exchange ideas and tackle challenges together, leading to enhanced organizational collaboration and fostering effective leadership skills.
How to use vulnerable leadership for enhanced collaboration
Vulnerable leadership facilitates an environment of psychological safety where team members feel comfortable sharing ideas, voicing concerns, and contributing authentically. This openness not only strengthens interpersonal relationships but also helps to create a positive emotional climate. When leaders demonstrate vulnerability at work, they set a precedent that encourages others to do the same.
3 ways to express vulnerability in the workplace
As leaders, there are three powerful phrases we can use in our daily routines that leverage the power of vulnerability to help reduce the pressure we put on ourselves to have all of the answers.
1. “I don’t know.”
Think of a time when a leader you admired admitted to not knowing something. Did you think less of them, or did you appreciate their honesty and authenticity? It is likely the latter, even if those thoughts weren’t conscious at the time. So why is it that we often fear we will appear less qualified or competent if we choose to show vulnerability in the workplace and say these three words?
As leaders, it is not our duty to be all knowing. In fact, practicing intellectual humility among our peers allows us (and our organizations) to reap numerous benefits. By responding with “I don’t know,” we demonstrate a few important traits:
- We refrain from sharing information that isn’t rooted in truth.
- We open our minds to adopting new approaches and innovations which may not have otherwise been considered.
- We give our colleagues and team members the opportunity to share their expertise and advice by asking others about their thoughts, thereby elevating their confidence and engagement.
In sum, when we are honest about what we know and don’t know, ask good questions, and involve the appropriate people in the exploration and decision-making process, we can harness the power of vulnerability in the workplace to enhance the view of our leadership and the quality of our decisions.
2. “I don’t understand”
How many times have you been at a conference table (or more recently, in a virtual meeting), silently nodding your head along with the discussion while questions storm through your mind? This confusion can impact not only you and your performance but limits the efficiency and effectiveness of the group’s progress as a whole. By voicing “I don’t understand,” we are practicing vulnerability in the workplace. Additionally, we are able to expand our knowledge, can more accurately gauge our stance on a matter, and can determine how we (or our team members) can contribute to a process or project.
Furthermore, by speaking up, we voice the thoughts or concerns which may similarly be held captive in our peers’ minds. This leads to a more open and clear discussion that shows others that they are in a safe space to be vulnerable as well. Given the pace the world is operating at today, it is inevitable there will be topics we are less knowledgeable on and approaches with which we are unfamiliar. This is precisely why vulnerability is important in today’s modern workplace. Don’t hesitate to pause the conversation for thoughtful questions when uncertainty arises.
3. “I need help”
This third phrase has the power to invite collaboration, inspiration, and trust among colleagues. All too often, however, the fear of showing vulnerability at work prevents us from realizing that we do in fact need help and admitting it to others. As a result, our plates pile up with an abundance of to-dos and tasks which could be better delegated. As leaders, we often believe we must be self-sufficient and independently decisive to gain others’ respect, when in fact the opposite is true. When we ask others for help, the benefits are two-fold – our relationships grow more intimate (as we express our interest in hearing our colleagues’ ideas and perspectives), and the solutions we generate together can be more interesting and have a greater impact.
Embracing the power of vulnerability in leadership
As leaders, we need to challenge ourselves to prioritize vulnerable leadership practices above our self-pride. When leaders openly admit “I don’t know” or “I don’t understand,” they create opportunities for continuous learning and shared growth among team members. Though building these phrases into our daily practices may take practice and push us to overcome fear of showing vulnerability in the workplace, they allow us to reap the great ideas and intelligence that surrounds us, and therefore, the opportunity to grow and be inspiring leaders and our most creative selves.
