Do you feel compelled to show the world that everything in your part of the business is tickety-boo? That you’re an amazing leader and your people love working for you?

This is problematic for you and your business. You put yourself under enormous pressure to uphold this perfect image and, over time, you may become resistant to change and closed off to valuable information that could help you improve.

Also, if your story doesn’t match reality this could impact people’s trust in you, undermining your reputation - your most important asset.

But what is the right way to face leadership challenges? And how can you talk about problems in the business without sabotaging your reputation, the morale of your team or sparking fear and panic? We discuss.

What does it mean to be vulnerable as a leader?

Brené Brown, Ph.D, LMSW, author of five New York Times 1# bestsellers, has spent the past two decades studying courage, vulnerability, shame and empathy. She says:

“While we often celebrate vulnerability as a strength in other people, we tend to see it as a weakness in ourselves.” (1)

This is something we can probably all relate to. Whether it’s being vulnerable with a partner, friend or employee, letting our guard down can be scary and uncomfortable - it feels like our weaknesses are being exposed.

These feelings are intensified when you’re in a position of power. You’re a role model and all eyes are on you. You don’t want to appear weak or incapable of doing your job. A leader should be strong and in control, shouldn’t they?

But what if we told you that being vulnerable isn’t about showing weakness? As Brown puts it:

“Vulnerability sounds like truth and feels like courage. Truth and courage aren’t always comfortable, but they’re never a weakness.”

Think about it - what’s braver? Covering up problems in your business or owning them and being seen to continuously improve?

Honesty is a gateway to trust and respect, helping you build stronger relationships with your colleagues, customers and advisors. These are the people who need to see your vulnerability, as Brené puts it: “Vulnerability is about sharing our feelings and our experiences with people who have earned the right to hear them.”

Perfection isn’t realistic

Richard Sheridan is the Co-founder and CEO of Menlo Innovations, a software company in Michigan, USA, which has won the Alfred P. Sloan Award for Business Excellence in Workplace Flexibility nine times. In his book, Joy, Inc.: How We Built a Workplace People Love, he writes:

“As a leader, your team is constantly watching you and actively looking for chinks in your armour. They so want to believe you – and believe IN you – but others have disappointed them in the past, so they are wary. You have also disappointed them. I know I have disappointed my team, but I try to keep it to less than one disappointment a week. I don’t have all the answers.”

No leader has all the answers because no leader is perfect. As Sheridan expresses: “Letting people down is inevitable, even if our intent is honourable. It’s better to be honest, not just to ourselves, but to the teams we lead too.

“Your people need to see you as a human being: what motivates you, what your hopes for the future are and how they fit into this picture. This way, they’ll understand your personal values and their respect for you will grow.

“Whereas, if you give them the impression that everything is amazing all the time, you’re increasing the height of your pedestal from which your fall could be fatal.” (2)

The importance of being a vulnerable business leader by building a culture of trust

Allow yourself to be vulnerable as a business leader and you’ll form a culture of trust. Why is this important?

According to two decades of research by Paul J. Zak (3), Harvard researcher and  Founding Director of the Center for Neuroeconomics Studies and Professor of Economics, people at high-trust companies report:

●      74% less stress

●      106% more energy at work

●      50% higher productivity

●      13% fewer sick days

●      76% more engagement

●      29% more satisfaction with their lives

●      40% less burnout.

A culture of trust, fuelled by your vulnerability, empowers employees to have a voice. This is integral to progress. Your workers are the people on the front line, dealing with customers, rolling out your new processes and working on your products or services. They know what’s working and what isn’t - giving them license to express their views is how you tackle problems effectively.

This is a core reason why Richard Sheridan’s organisation has developed an amazing workplace culture. Even Google and Disney have been to visit the offices at Menlo Innovations to see how they do it. He’s not the perfect leader by any means as he points out: “We have the same problems as any other organisation.”

It’s because “the team knows my optimism and my work ethic. They know my heart for people and relationships. I can bring my true self to work and that same person to my family,” explains Richard.

By being his true self at work, Richard exposes his vulnerabilities. This deep understanding has created strong bonds between Richard and his team, driving a culture of trust and enabling the business to tackle problems sooner and faster.

Lead your people towards a better future

Will you learn how to be vulnerable? The benefits for your business can be mighty and long-lasting. It helps you build better relationships with your people, creating a culture founded on trust that can accelerate progress.

What’s your stance on vulnerability in leadership? We’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences - share them with us on Twitter.

References:

(1) “The Power of Vulnerability”. Brené Brown, TEDxHouston, June 2010.

(2) “Joy, Inc., How We Build a Workplace People Love”. Richard Sheridan, Portfolio Penguin, 2015.

(3) “8 Ways to Build a Culture of Trust”. Marissa Levin, Inc., October 2017.