EMBRACING VULNERABILITY IS A SIGN OF STRENGTH

Even now, this is hard for me to write. Admitting it feels awkward, and perhaps a bit unnatural.?

It was an unusual moment, rare for someone like me.?

As I previously shared, it has been a long few weeks. Our business is growing and expanding into new geographies at a spinning pace. By itself, this is great as we sustainably smash all our targets, yet it also comes with its challenges, as we @Medix Global never compromise on our high standards. I have been away from my family and on business travel across regions and countries for a long while. My mother is ailing. I got diagnosed with Covid (very mild symptoms) and am recovering while already on business travel. Then, yesterday, I got the news that my 84y old father fell and broke his hip.

Then it came. The big question: “Sigal, are you alright?”

And me, a woman known for steadfast responses, for holding it all together, for saying “Of course!” and “Let’s go!” under the toughest of circumstances, had to admit for once:

“Honestly, I am ok and happy, but it has been emotionally very tiring.”

I heard myself in real time, apologizing.?

For showing the slightest emotion.

The faintest susceptibility.

A raw, unfiltered response.?

Long after that exchange, I have thought hard about this moment.

Of what it meant for me as a person, as a leader.

And I can tell you this: Regret has turned into resolve.?

THE HIDDEN POWER OF VULNERABILITY?

After much thought and research, I can confidently say that I’m proud of that moment.?

What I thought was a weakness was, in fact, showing strength.

What I thought was letting my guard down was, in fact, letting people in.

What I thought was cowardice was, in fact, the courage to be myself.

What I thought was an isolated experience was, in fact, a collective practice that has been shown to produce immense success in the right conditions.?

I was practicing vulnerability.?

It’s not a practice I engage in often. As leaders, we are often conditioned to be seen as resolute, determined, and unflinching. Especially in the medical field, when so much is on the line, when so many eyes and egos are on you, when it’s literally a matter of life!?

But that approach is detached from our waking reality. From the hardships we experience. From the losses we endure. How can we both speak to the world as we experience it while maintaining composure and fortitude?

What a box we find ourselves in!

The task has never been more urgent. The need for vulnerability is never more important.?

The Harvard Business Review puts it bluntly:

“In a complex and uncertain world that demands constant learning and agility, the most apt and adaptable leaders are those who are aware of their limitations, have the necessary humility to grow their own and others’ potential, and are courageous and curious enough to create sincere and open connections with others.”

And there is data to support this.

Recent research from the London School of Economics proves the point. In a survey of over 12,000 global employees, LSE showed that people are more willing to go the extra mile at work when their manager is open and shows vulnerability.?

But we as leaders are not living up to the task.?

According to the survey, only 39% of employees said their manager often or always displayed openness; and 24% said their manager was often or always vulnerable. A paltry figure.?

VULNERABILITY MAKES US HUMAN

If there’s one thing that has been sadly common these last few years, it’s unnecessary bravado.

From Brazil to the United States, from Russia to China, we have seen far too many cases of leaders refusing to show vulnerability: no admitting mistakes, no sharing emotions, no listening and responding empathetically.?

The results? War, disease, mismanagement and mistrust. A hardened world that has hardened many of us in the process.?

The brand guru Simon Sinek has equated vulnerability to our very humanity:

“A leader, first and foremost, is human. Only when we have the strength to show our vulnerability can we truly lead.”?

Coffee giant Howard Schultz relates vulnerability to the bearing of the soul: “There are moments when you’ve got to share your soul and your conscience with people and show them who you are and be afraid of it.”?

And life coach Brene Brown sees it as the ultimate change agent: “When we don’t have all the answers, leaders who show vulnerability — those who are aware of their limitations, admit their mistakes, and have the necessary humility to learn and adjust course — may make more progress.”

VULNERABILITY IN MEDICINE

Practicing vulnerability doesn’t just offer benefits for everyday life; it is absolutely essential to the delivery of optimal medical treatment.?

In a powerful end-of-year address a few years ago, Harvard Medical School graduate Colleen Farrell recounted her own experience with vulnerability and it’s crucial role in medicine:?

“Our patients come to us so that we may heal their wounds, but in seeking care, they open themselves to being wounded anew—both physically and emotionally. … Patients let us into their stories before they can know if we will respond with compassion and understanding or if we will brush them off or make them feel ashamed. By saying out loud ‘this hurts’ and ‘I don’t know what to do,’ patients open the possibility of sustaining further wounds.

But yet, it is only through telling their stories and putting trust in others that they may be healed. In this way, vulnerability is a prerequisite for healing.”

As healthcare professionals, we must be vulnerable with ourselves if we are to deliver healing for our patients. Yet too many are still uncomfortable doing so at the expense of their own physical and mental health.?

Hannah Korah, a University of Arizona College of Medicine student, notes:?

“In comparison to age-matched peers of the general population, trainees and physicians are less likely to seek routine medical care, with over 25% of physicians lacking a primary care provider to provide routine depression screenings and early interventions for suicide prevention.”?

When I started Medix, I was keenly aware of the importance of vulnerability in medicine: from the practitioner to the patient. I had my own health scare, which revealed the hubris, arrogance, and overconfidence of the medical field at large.?

Vulnerability is at the heart of medicine. And it’s at the heart of Medix.

By admitting we don’t have every answer, and don't accept the status quo, we free ourselves to find new solutions.?

By taking the time to listen, we give ourselves the ability to ask new questions.

By extending a hand, we connect empathetically to ensure the person behind the patient is seen, heard, and respected.

By learning from every step, we ensure every non-optimal outcome is a valuable lesson.

It’s vulnerability, and the strength that comes from it, that makes Medix so unique from anything else in healthcare.?

EMBRACING VULNERABILITY FOR POSITIVE CHANGE?

There are many ways leaders can demonstrate vulnerability, but not all of them are positive. It is crucial that we embrace constructive vulnerability to ensure we continue growing as individuals, as leaders, as humans.?

Here are a few ways you can effectively practice constructive vulnerability in your own homes, offices, and other relationships.

1. Ask questions rather than give immediate answers: Asking questions is a humbling experience. It indirectly admits that there is room for new thinking, that there are no firm or right answers. It’s a powerful tool to engage and show interest without being domineering.??

2. Ask for feedback, but don’t get defensive! Let’s admit it: Criticism stings, but like antiseptic, it cleans. When you solicit feedback, receive it with open arms, open ears, and open minds. Then, you can grow.?

3. Admit when you are struggling. Superman and Wonder Woman are fictional characters. We cannot do it all, or accomplish it all, alone. It is healthy to ask for support. Don’t bear the burden alone.

4. Listen carefully. It’s easy to pontificate. It’s harder to be an active listener – withholding your own opinions and beliefs in order to hear the speaker out in full. We must first be able to take in diverse information and points of view the proper way before we can craft a proper response.??

5. Admit mistakes and make them right. You’re never going to be right 100% of the time. As leaders we are bound to make mistakes, but it’s what we do with them that defines us. Own it, fix it, learn from it.

These are by no means exhaustive. But they are effective.?

I’m curious: In your most vulnerable moments, what guides your leadership?

I’d be honored to hear your thoughts.?