Can You Be Vulnerable As a Leader?

Vulnerability isn’t a quality you’d put at the top of the list for leadership.

I’m not here to say it’s the most important one because too much of it can hurt you.

For example, be being too vulnerable can create a perception of weakness, undermine credibility and sink team moral.

Isn’t that what we want from our leaders?

Now let’s address specifically how to make it a strength in the workplace.

Here are two questions to examine:

1. Does it serve your people?
2. Does it help create a safe environment?

The way I look at it being vulnerable is admitting what you don’t know (aka not pretending you know it all when you don’t).

This may sound like a hit to your credibility/ego, but if you don’t say it out loud you’re attempting to hide your weaknesses when everyone sees them clearly.

The buzz around having a psychologically safe environment is rooted in trust.

Do I trust that my leaders are acting in the best interest of the company and their employees?

The answer to that question reveals all you need to know as an owner.

Warning: the prerequisite to all this is having healthy boundaries.

Translation: oversharing (aka TMI) will kill your credibility instantly.

So how do you balance honesty and too much information?

As a leader ask yourself, am I acting in the best interest of my organization? (remember you’re an employee too)

Also, is what I’m sharing too personal, crossing boundaries or putting the company at risk?

Listen, there’s no hard line or formula for how vulnerable to be as a leader.

But it’s a topic you should be aware of and weight the pros and cons based on the situation at hand.

Ultimately vulnerability is a choice, more than it is a skill.

Practically speaking you want to be viewed as an empathetic leader.

We definitely need more of those in the business world.

And if what I explained is still confusing take a look at this video.

At the end of the day leaders show more than they tell.

People will follow the example given to them, not what’s handed down from a company meeting.

So if you want your people to come to you for help, you’re going to have to start being honest and transparent with them.

Vulnerability breeds vulnerability.

The best leaders aren’t afraid to be vulnerable because it serves their people and creates a safe environment.

How to achieve that can be tricky, so if you need help navigating that path reply to this email and let’s create a game plan together.

God Bless,

Scott