Leadership Insight: The Power of Vulnerability

Throughout my career, I've received candid feedback about my leadership style both good and bad. One consistent theme: my ability to foster trust, enabling team members to discuss their deepest concerns openly.

Leadership Insight: The Power of Vulnerability

While there's no shortage of good leadership advice out there, I'd like to share two key insights I've stumbled upon: (again these insights are limited by my personal experience and inability to attribute the right causality half the time)

1. True connection with your team emerges when you reveal your own vulnerabilities. Real leadership is when they choose to follow you despite—or even because of—your openness about your weaknesses.

2. You've truly arrived as a leader when your team goes out of their way to compensate for your shortcomings, not out of obligation, but out of genuine care for your success.

Should you disclose your vulnerabilities to your team?

Absolutely.

(Just make sure they don't hate you already when you do it)

In my experience of observing leaders, those who maintain a facade of invulnerability often come across as inauthentic. The most connected and respected leaders are those who embrace their imperfections.

Some of my proudest personal moments have been when a team member says,

"Don't worry about this part, boss. I've got it covered—you're not great at this anyway."

If you haven't tried it; try being honest with a small group of trusted colleagues. You might be surprised by the results.

~discoverring Turiya @wo