Vulnerability As a Leadership Strength

Regardless of how great the innovation or technology is, at the core of an organization it will consistently be about the accomplishment of individuals. And keeping in mind that establishing a culture of productive individuals has numerous variables, much of the time, achievement boils down to a single most important thing — leadership culture.

Are you about to assume a leadership position, or are you already a Founder or CEO or MD or CXO or leading a group of members? Then, you might spend a lot of your time learning from top executives from companies across the globe on how to attain true leadership success. You might have learned about true leadership qualities, which more than likely include having a vision, building culture, being innovative, accountable et cetera; however, not many will talk about vulnerability as a leadership strength.

In this writeup, I would like to share the importance of leaders leveraging the power of vulnerability.

How vulnerability helps to prevent toxic leadership

One important quality that has been attributed to good leadership is resilience. Resilience has a lot to do with being able to recover from difficulties. This is a fair attribute to want to see in leaders, as when crises hit, we don’t want to have someone who will choose to quit rather than see how they can endure.

We want leaders who will keep the long-term vision for the company alive and who will make the decisions necessary to help the company achieve its goals. But a problem arises when people think that to show their team or stakeholders that they are tough enough to lead, they must hide their vulnerability.

Vulnerability is rarely praised as a top leadership quality; however, we must eliminate the belief that vulnerability is a weakness. It is, in fact, a strength critical to successful leadership.

Here’s a must watch video of Brene Brown sharing her research story on this topic

The benefits of being vulnerable as a leader

Vulnerability creates authenticity

Vulnerability represents the humanness in leaders. It is vital for leaders to show their people that they are just like them. Leaders are humans too with fears and weaknesses. It would be best if you never try to maintain a bravado image. Tell your team when you are not feeling well, when you are worried and about the other challenges you face. You would be surprised how understanding your team is. A good leader stays true to who they are. Remember, you are not a superhuman. For such a person cannot exist.

It builds transparency

In every organization, communication and transparency between employees and leaders are highly recommended. Leaders should communicate with their team about all topics related to the company’s wellbeing health report as often as possible. These topics can include market competition, the company’s drooping growth numbers or the difficulties the company is facing in retaining top talent, and the steps taken to address specific issues. These conversations build trust and create a healthy team culture.

Be vulnerable and get the support you need

We all need help in some way. Sometimes, as leaders, we are afraid to let people know that we need support. This should not be the case. A good leader who desires the best for the company will reach out to team, fellow colleagues, mentors or get external help to ensure they have the best strategies to keep the company profitable and ahead.

By being open in your conversations, great leaders build personal connects and strong relationships. If you want to create a circle of trust, focus on building better relationships. For, we are human at the end of the day.

Final thoughts

When it’s genuine, showing vulnerability helps to create openness and empathetic environment. It creates a good workplace culture and provides opportunities to bond with teams. It also helps build multitude trust, which eventually leads to higher team performance and team spirit.

Finally, the secret sauce is to have a right balance of personal and professional relationships in the workplace.

I don’t know. I made mistakes. I failed.

I learnt. I changed. I won! — Swaminathan Gopal

Be vulnerable, be yourself!