How can you coach authentic leaders to be more vulnerable?

Embracing vulnerability isn't a weakness; it's a leadership strength. It paves the way for genuine connections, learning from failures, and inspiring true innovation. Authentic leaders know vulnerability is the bedrock of trust and creativity.

Vulnerability in a leader demonstrates good judgment. When leaders admit their doubts or mistakes, they admit their fallibility. Leaders who never admit their own faults are either lying or lacking in self-awareness – neither of which inspires much confidence in their judgment. A leader who admits their own mistakes and learnings can be trusted to do the same for the business. Leaders need to be appropriate in their level of vulnerability. Oversharing personal details will do as much damage as projecting an infallible confidence. To determine the appropriate line of vulnerability, the leader should consider: “Will sharing this help people trust my judgment?” If yes, sharing will help build the team’s faith in their leadership.

Vulnerability increases the psychological safety the team has with the leader. Exploring the benefits of a leader being vulnerable and the connect vulnerability to psychological safety. Then asking questions around how I psychological safety enables a high performance team

Coaching authentic leaders to embrace vulnerability involves guiding them to see vulnerability not as a weakness, but as a strength. It's about encouraging them to share their own challenges and uncertainties, which can humanize them and deepen connections with their team. Creating a safe space where they can express doubts and fears without judgment is key. It's also important to help them understand the balance between vulnerability and decisiveness. Vulnerability in leadership isn't about oversharing or relinquishing responsibility; it's about showing genuine self-awareness and empathy, which can inspire trust and loyalty in their teams, fostering a more open and collaborative work environment.

La vulnerabilidad es fundamental para cimentar nuestro liderazgo, porque todos queremos un líder capaz, empático, con una infinidad de características pero sobre todo “humano”. Y es precisamente la vulnerabilidad la que nos muestra como tal, cuando nuestro equipo ve, que también tenemos momentos difíciles, situaciones personales complicadas, etc. y que las compartimos con ellos de manera adecuada, ellos también se sienten en la confianza de hacerlo. Y cuando se abre la comunicación, pero también el corazón se genera la verdadera confianza y aunténtica conexión!

As a coach you do not require to access the level of vulnerability of your coachee. It is your responsibility as a coach to create that space where your coachee feel comfortable to be vulnerable. And this can only be possible by listening to your coachee to understand and transform. Majority of the people in this world listen out of curiosity with prejudice and bias. Your authenticity in listening is very important to create the space of vulnerability.

Assessing a client’s vulnerability involves creating a supportive environment for open communication. When assessing someone's vulnerability, observing how willing they are to share personal experiences, , and discuss challenges is essential. Pay attention to their body language, tone of voice, and the depth of their reflections. To get a better understanding of their feelings and experiences, ask thought-provoking open-ended questions. It's also important to use reflective listening to validate their emotions. Take note of how they respond to feedback, particularly constructive criticism. Remember that assessing vulnerability is an ongoing process that requires building trust and taking a non-judgmental approach in coaching.

For me as a coach, assessing vulnerability isn't about measuring it but creating a space where coachees feel safe to open up. This requires deep, empathetic listening, focusing not just on words but on body language and unspoken emotions. Most listen to respond; however, true vulnerability arises from listening to understand and transform. Deep listening builds trust and encourages openness. Additionally, incorporating energy healing and neuroscience can enhance this process. Understanding a coachee's energy flow and mental patterns provides a holistic perspective, facilitating a deeper connection and a more authentic expression of vulnerability.

Die Offenheit eines Coachees für eigene Verletzlichkeit ist stark von seiner Biographie und der frühkindlichen Pr?gung im Umgang mit Emotionen abh?ngig. Diese Pr?gungen werden entweder in der Erwachsenenwelt reflektiert und weiterentwickelt oder m?glicherweise weiter unterdrückt. In meiner Beobachtung gibt es oft einen unterschiedlichen Zugang zur Vulnerabilit?t zwischen Frauen und M?nnern. Viele Frauen sind sich ihrer emotionalen St?rken, Schw?chen und Gefühle der überlastung bewusst, w?hrend M?nner h?ufig nicht einmal tiefgreifende Ersch?pfung oder Trauer wahrnehmen. Traditionelle Rollenmuster beeinflussen den Zugang zur eigenen Emotionalit?t stark und wirken sich auf die F?higkeit aus, eigene Gefühle zu erkennen und zu verarbeiten.

I agree with the aforementioned. There are multiple ways to assess vulnerability in session. In addition, there are assessment tools that can help do this. I use System-3.

First, make sure that you share a little about a couple of leaders who've been successful after announcing to their teams - "I've messed up, yes." Then introduce your coachee to a tennis- ?? like approach, the right racquet grip, the right throw during the services, and check the "eye dominance" in specific leaders. They will tell you more, if you have earned the right to proceed

It doesn't necessarily need to be a contract that ensures vulnerability from the coachee. Rather it is creating a space where the coachee feels safe to be vulnerable. This is achieved through an open conversation as to what the coachee needs to get there and is co-created by the coach and coachee.

A coaching contract helps develop clarity on the coaching relationship, establishes the roles, expectations, responsibilities and accountability. While a coaching contract helps clarify expectations and sets boundaries for both parties, I believe the relationship supports how vulnerable a client can feel in the sessions. In my 20 years of practice, from the first session, am able to build a rapport, providing the coachee a level of comfort and confidence of a non-judgemental space. They trust that when they bring anything to the conversation, together we will follow the process which allows them to evolve their own solutions to move forward.

Ich glaube nicht, dass es dafür einen Coaching-Vertrag braucht. Verletzlichkeit sollte ganz natürlich unterstützt werden, wenn es dem Coachee hilft. Es k?nnte eher abschreckend sein, dass zu Beginn einer Zusammenarbeit als Ziel festzulegen. Ich definiere immer 3 mittel- und 3 langfristige Ziele mit neuen Klienten. Zu diesen Ziele gehen wir regelm??ig zurück, um bewerten, wo wir am Weg sind. Wenn uns die Verletzlichkeit unseren Zielen n?herbringt, werden wir sie ganz organisch in unsere Coachings einbauen.

One thing I have found helpful is to ensure the person feels a sense of agency. By allowing them to access their inner wisdom you open the door to the possibilities of depth. Also to ask them what their goals are. Create a conscious reflective approach where you return to these regularly and see if they have shifted or changed.

When I notice a hesitant attitude toward the topic of "vulnerability in the role of a manager" in my clients, I try to guide them into situations where they have had positive experiences with people who have shown VB to them. Often, situations involving former mentors who were highly regarded are mentioned here. I attempt to immerse my clients once again in these situations and ask the following questions: What did you appreciate about the VB shown to you? How did this VB positively influence your relationship? By shifting perspectives, clients find it easier to acknowledge and appreciate positive aspects of VB. In the second step, I work with my clients to transfer these positive experiences to potential actions regarding their own VB.

From my understanding, showing vulnerability is not a goal itself. So my task as a coach is not to ?produce“ vulnerability or to bring someone to showing more of it. Life and leadership are about being authentic. So being human and living a human life will automatically involve vulnerability, moments, when we are open to our feelings, emotions, experiences - and to those of others. In my work with coachees we try to find out which concepts tell us to be ?superhuman“ or ?perfect“ and how we can dare to be ourselves. What do we need to be able to show our authentic self and become confident that the way we are right now is acceptable. First to ourselves, then to others.

One of the biggest obstacles to vulnerability in a coaching client is the embodiment of the coach or facilitator. Instead of trying to impart "knowledge," when a coach embodies a safe, open space, their clients will FEEL this, and respond from the safety they feel. This is why doing their own inner work diligently and courageously is the KEY to support your clients in getting results. When we do our own inner work, we're able to sense the energetic shifts and follow what the client needs according to those subtle energies.

Definitivamente como coachs, debemos saber tener una escucha activa y asertiva. Hacer aflorar la vulnerabilidad a través del coaching, no es nada fácil, sobre todo mientras más hermética sea la persona. No obstante como bien sabemos, el coaching entre otros es el arte de preguntar, y en ese sentido, debemos hacer la pregunta necesaria para que la persona, no solo identifique sus vulnerabilidades, sino sobretodo lo más importante, el por qué le cuesta manifestarlas. Finalmente debemos orientar a nuestros coachees , cuales deberían ser los límites, lo cual también es vital.

I have found that when I ask my coaching clients to follow journaling - which is writing down on a daily basis their interactions with their teams/ stakeholders and the accompanying feelings - it is an effective method. Because this increases their self awareness about how their vulnerability works in their favour in some situations. It requires commitment to journal everyday however as a coach, we can encourage our client to do the exercise and as they experience the positive learning, they are motivated.

It might be useful to ensure a good balance of affirmations so that your coachee feels validated - this may be the only space where they receive positive feedback about themselves. They may already feel over critical about themselves and will not need it further amplified. For those who do need a gentle nudge of constructive criticism make sure they are in the space to receive it and always check whether they are willing to hear it.

What I find helpful is creating an environment of radical candor like that described in the book of Kim Scott. Framing your feedback and criticism in the right way (challenge directly)really builds people up and encourages them to feel safe to share their challenge but also feel safe to collaborate on solutions because they feel validated and secure through the care "deeply part" of your conversation. Encourage a growth mindset ... By sharing knowledge of what it is but also by allowing them to experiment with this idea during your sessions.

Coaching authentic leaders to be more vulnerable involves addressing their everyday challenges and fears related to vulnerability. The key is to create a safe and supportive environment where leaders can openly discuss their apprehensions. For instance, many leaders fear that showing vulnerability might undermine their authority or lead to judgments. I encourage open conversations about these fears, helping leaders understand that vulnerability can enhance their authenticity and relatability. I also share stories and examples of successful leaders who've embraced vulnerability, highlighting its positive impact on leadership and team dynamics.

Embracing vulnerability in leadership is about recognizing it as a strength, not a weakness. It's about creating a space of trust, where introspection and sharing our true selves lead to deeper connections. Vulnerability, rather than diminishing our authority, enhances our credibility and relatability. It's essential to cultivate emotional intelligence, managing our emotions with mindfulness and compassion. In acknowledging and embracing our vulnerabilities, we find a form of leadership that is authentic, resilient, and profoundly impactful.

Coincido con esta posición, no obstante también pienso que cuando encontramos en un coachee con muchos temores y preocupaciones, antes que ayudarlo a ser vulnerable, una opción dependiendo del caso, sería primero trabajar con el o ella en fortalecer su autoestima, porque sino no estará preparado para el siguiente paso.

Don't confuse vulnerability with destructive traits such as impulsiveness or arrogance. That is, we don't get a free pass by saying "That's just the way I am - I'm sharing my true self." Well, if your true self is disruptive or deceptive, your true self isn't worthy of a leadership position. Even if you are productive! Those around that dishonest leader ("the conversation was perfect..."), those who are discerning and insightful, will not buy into the leader's argument that the ends justify the means. That godless lie has never been valid.

Showing vulnerability is showing humanness without diminishing your authority as leader. One way to do this is to show courage in the midst of challenges and let people see that despite fear or discomfort you are pushing through. Admitting mistakes or failures is also a great leadership quality. However, say what you are doing to rectify things Allow feedback and respond to it effectively this is scary but allows you to fix blindspots Coaching is a great way to gain the accountability you need to follow through with the action to embrace vulnerability as a way of staying authentic

As a coach, it is critical to create the space for reflection for the coachee to feel safe enough to examine actions/practices that support their leadership and ones that derail. I agree that the use of the word is not necessary

The word vulnerability can be an issue at times, even though I truly believe that it’s important. So I tend to have conversations about being human, being honest, being transparent and going first - share who you are, what you are great at and what you find hard and so much more. Sometimes it’s just the word that gets in the way.

La vulnérabilité ne doit pas être per?ue comme de la faiblesse ou de la na?veté. Commencer par montrer votre vulnérabilité à des personnes capables de la recevoir avec bienveillance, en guise d’entra?nement.