1 Rare Leadership Behavior You'll Want to Improve in 2021

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Best-selling author and researcher Dr. Brene Brown calls one particular leadership virtue "the birthplace of innovation, creativity, and change." What do I speak of?

Vulnerability.

Dr. Brown's viral Ted Talk, The Power of Vulnerability, has already solidified the importance of vulnerability in the workplace, and how critical it is for leaders to connect with and inspire others.

The Pathway to Trust

Vulnerability is about trust -- the backbone of successful leadership. Employees and leaders who trust one another learn to be comfortable being open to one another around their failures, disappointments, weaknesses, even fears.

Vulnerability-based trust is predicated on the simple--and practical idea--that people who aren't afraid to admit the truth are not going to engage in the kind of political drama that sucks away everyone's time and energy, and more importantly, gets in the way of accomplishing goals and results.

The Application of Vulnerability

While some teams will work together for years and still distrust one another, others who have been together just a few weeks or months develop an amazing amount of trust. The key? In one word: Courage. 

It's going to take courage to show up with emotional honesty.

It's going to take courage to accept our shortcomings or the things we are ashamed of as leaders and founders.

It's going to take courage to release ourselves from the erroneous thinking that we have to be perfect and can't make mistakes, have flaws, or be human.

It will take courage to open dialog about our mistakes, our failures, and take accountability for them.

It will take courage to admit our uncertainty in troubled times, and that we don't have all the answers.

Since vulnerability -- like any other leadership behavior -- takes practice, you need to do these four things consistently to get you on the path to relational excellence:

• Increase self-awareness: This means knowing your strengths but also your blind spots. It's what you don't know about yourself that controls you.
• Lead from the heart. Most of us have the "head" part down, but leading from the heart means genuinely looking after the needs of others by engaging them on an emotional level.
• Listen to understand. This means authentically listening to "get" other people's joys, frustrations, learning about their values, and connecting to their deepest wishes and dreams.
• Be "present" with your feelings. If you feel uncertain, embarrassed, confused, or don't know the answer to something, say it! Strength in vulnerability will show up with statements like, "I'm really not sure where to go with this, what would you do in my situation?" or "I need some help here."

Modeling vulnerability inside our organizations gives team members permission to do the same. As a result, you will experience more honest conversations that lead to better connection and collaboration.

Do you agree? Leave me a comment.

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Commit to Being a Better Leader in 2021

Soft skills development rarely gets the respect it deserves to improve the way you work, lead, or grow your business. Truth is, your soft skills can ultimately make or break a career, team, or even a company. To improve your leadership (and soft) skills in 2021, register for my brand new online leadership workshop. It's my gift to you, free of charge.

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About Marcel Schwantes

Marcel Schwantes is a speaker, executive coach, leadership advisor, podcast host, and syndicated columnist with a global following. His work has been featured in Inc., Time, Business Insider, Fast Company, The New York Daily News, CNBC, Forbes, and others. Marcel speaks passionately on the human side of work, and how cultures of care, connection, and people-empowerment power companies to outperform the competition.