Let’s talk vulnerability in leadership and what the behaviours are of a leader who shows vulnerability.
Vulunerability is spoken about a lot in the realm of leadership lately. And it can kind of feel like a bit of a woo-woo/fuzzy thing.
It can also be really hard for leaders to feel confident in showing their vulnerability for fear of looking weak.
It’s actually not woo-woo and it is far from a display of weakness.
It takes courage and confidence.
And there are specific things a leader can do to express it without “losing it or crumbling into a puddle” in a public forum:
• Being able to ask for help – the law of give and receive.
• Being able to say “I don’t know” – drop the ego. Be real. Be honest.
• Being able to show and express empathy – hold space for others without sympathy. Tapping into an understanding of the emotions of others.
You can only do that by tapping into your emotional experiences.
Brene Brown talks about the definition of vulnerability as “the emotion that we experoeince during times of uncertainty, risk, and emotional exposure - it’s not winning or losing, it’s having the courage to show up when you can’t control the outcome.”
I love that. And it’s certainly been true for me over the last 25 years.
Being vulnerable builds connection and trust.
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