An Exploration of Vulnerability for the Modern Leader

Creating an environment of psychological safety is an essential requirement to building an adaptive, innovative workforce – something we are all focused on as uncertainty continues to permeate our way of life and the world of work.

To build that climate of safety, a culture of vulnerability needs to be embraced. However, as a concept, it is often faced with reluctance. It’s no wonder when the literal definition of vulnerability according to the Oxford Dictionary is “the fact of being weak and easily hurt physically or emotionally”. In business, the behaviour leaders are now being called on to initiate is not about showing weakness, it’s about leading authentically to build strength amongst teams and organisations.

Knowing when to be vulnerable and judging how much to share is a fundamental skill of leadership. It’s easy to think that people have it all together, but it is important to remember that we’re all human beings trying to do our best. As my Dad always says, “We all put our pants on one leg at a time.”

In all three series of Accolade Wine’s Realising Your Potential podcast, vulnerability emerged as a consistent theme and it has been a topic that we have explored in depth with our guests. In Series Two, I spoke with Strategic Communicator and Leadership Coach Claire Salvetti who spoke about creating an environment to embrace vulnerability. Her insight was that leadership comes not from acquiring a position, but from our ability to impact others. Part of that influence is sharing your own vulnerability to create the precedent that it is okay to admit to an area where more learning or self-study can occur. The skill is balancing when to be vulnerable and when to demonstrate your capability as a strong leader. Vulnerability is essential, but how you deliver it is just as important.

Recent research from McKinsey found that when a safe working environment is created, employees feel comfortable asking for help and sharing suggestions without challenging the status quo and negative social consequences. This is particularly relevant when our working environments are no longer contained to a single office space, but may be geographically spread around a country or even the globe. The benefits of this are huge; it enables a business to unlock diversity in its workforce, solve challenges quickly, and adapt well to change – all vital characteristics within the context of a contemporary work environment. Despite its real impact on corporate effectiveness, the research highlighted that only a handful of business leaders demonstrate the behaviours that create this climate of psychological safety in their organisation.

High performance organisations need to encourage and build vulnerability at all levels. In 2017, Google undertook a large-scale study on teams. The outcome of the observations was that the highest performing divisions enjoyed an environment of psychological safety, with people aware that they would not be punished for making mistakes. Teams spoke their minds, undertook moderate risks, and thought creatively – all traits of people who deliver market breakthroughs. This authentic leadership style is also endorsed by guests from Series Three of our podcast, Erik Horrie (OAM) and his coach Jason Baker (OAM).

Erik is a para-rowing World Champion, and his coach Jason unlocked Erik’s potential through building a strong relationship founded on friendship and trust. In my conversation with them both, Erik admitted that trust was one of his biggest hurdles impacting his ability to perform at an elite level in sport. His fear of showing weakness made him reluctant to ask for help. He often built defensive walls and it wasn’t until Jason was able to break them down, that they achieved a collaborative working relationship. The result of their combined courage was that any opinions offered by either party were accepted, absorbed, and actioned, enabling productive feedback and faster progression. Something that has translated into five World titles and now three Paralympic silver medals following Erik’s triumph at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

After hearing others be vulnerable with their own stories it has made me reflect on my own journey in leadership. My first experience was when I was 26 and thrust into a role that required me to manage a team of 10. I was quite literally thrown in the deep end; aware I could perform the role technically but unfamiliar with the requirements of leadership. To add to the challenge, the company was going through a dramatic period of change with the consequences of our actions having an immediate impact on the future of the company. I had also joined as a consultant, so I didn’t belong in a team already. I was always asking questions to get my feet under the desk, but there was no one for me to debrief with or learn from. All of these elements combined to make it a challenging role but despite this I would have struggled to be vulnerable as a natual introvert. I had my head down working hard to demonstrate that I was good enough. I knew I was succeeding on the technical front but I was finding my way as a leader, and a lack of experience made me hesitant to reach out. I genuinely felt that at any moment, someone was going to come and tell me that I was too young, not good enough and that was it. I now know I’m not alone in these feelings and Imposter Syndrome is a common experience for the vast majority of us at some point in our lives.?

My comfort with vulnerability has grown since then. It does not come naturally but I have found my own strategies for embracing it, in large part thanks to roles that have incorporated 360-degree feedback and investment in quality coaching both internally and externally. This changed my mindset and made me realise how much I want to turn up every day for my team. As you develop into a sernior leader your actions are watched by more people making the example you set a vital part of instilling confidence in leaders who are at an earlier stage of the journey. Thinking back to my 26 year-old self, I would hate to think that anyone I am responsible for today would feel the same reluctance to reach out for support and help.

I am still challenging myself to be the most authentic leader I can be. In fact, one of my most recent acts of vulnerability has been around the format for the next series of Realising Your Potential. Before I made the decision to share any of my own insights I drew on the relationship with my team and sought their counsel. After three series, their guidance was that it was my turn to share aspects of my journey as it added a relatable frame to the leadership themes we’ll cover when the next series launches on the 21st of October.

It is not natural for me to open up about my own experience and I have deep respect for those that specialise in leadership coaching. But sharing my story is not about being the most experienced voice in a room. It is about being genuinely authentic and offering another real experience to the recurrent themes that our guests have raised so eloquently.

All our guests have exposed themselves in a public way truly embracing the foundation of vulnerability, so I need to use what I have learned from them and do the same. I am reminded of the words of Jason Baker (OAM) – “Your demeanour will be reflected in your athlete's.”

Environmental activist and Olympic gold medallist, Crista Cullen put it best - “Authenticity is the cornerstone of effective leadership.” I cannot ask my team to embrace the practices of vulnerability unless I demonstrate these myself. In my career, I have been fortunate enough to work across multiple job roles, in different countries and among some of the world’s largest companies. I have not always had the answer, but I have always found a response.

Following an extended period of working from home, we have all learnt to let our barriers down to display the real human being behind our work personas. Whether that has been the noise of kids in the background, pets walking across the keyboard or a sweaty post run conference call. I am looking forward to adding to that through sharing more insights from my own experience as we jointly unpack the leadership lessons in the next series of Realising Your Potential.?