The Power of Vulnerability & 5 Tips for Embracing Yours

I absolutely LOVE TED Talks, I have been a passionate fan of the medium for years now. I listen to them in the car, watch them on my phone and have even been to my local Ted X Conference twice. Even though I have seen or heard hundreds of these talks, there is one that always sticks out in my mind and remains a favorite that I watch over and over again; Brené Brown’s 2010 talk titled “The Power of Vulnerability”

In her talk, Brown defines vulnerability as the willingness to do something where there are no guarantees. She also shares that vulnerability seems to be the birthplace of creativity and of belonging. It’s a powerful thing, but it’s the one thing we are often most afraid to show, especially as a leader.

Many people think that when they become the leader, they need to appear strong, like they have all the answers and that they have it all under control. We tend to think that showing vulnerability makes us look weak. However, in my work with leaders I have witnessed that the exact opposite is true. Vulnerability is a leadership strength.
I think vulnerability gets a bad rap because people tend to think it means they have to bare their soul and share their deepest darkest secrets. They think it will be all crying into their tissues and singing kumbaya around the watercooler. That’s not really what vulnerability is all about.

So, what does mean to be vulnerable a leader?

• It’s the courage to show up and be seen for who you really are.
• It’s letting your guard down so people can get to know the real you.
• It’s the courage to admit you don’t have all the answers.
• It’s the ability to ask questions and really listen to what others have to say.
• It’s admitting when you have made a mistake without placing blame on those around you.

There are so many reasons to practice vulnerability as a leader. It allows you to authentically connect and build relationships with your team, a cornerstone of really effective leadership. Being vulnerable can increase your team’s creativity and innovation; when we trust our leaders, we’re more willing to be open and take risks, a cornerstone of innovation. A team is more likely to be engaged and motivated when they are authentically connected to their leader; this leads to increased productivity which leads to bottom line business performance.

When we let go of our preconceived notions of what it means to be a strong leader, we can really start to understand the power vulnerability. Vulnerability is not a weakness you need to overcome, it’s a strength you need to embrace and demonstrate if you want to be a successful and impactful leader.

Struggling with how to increase your vulnerability? Check out my 5 tips for embracing vulnerability.

5 Tips for Embracing Vulnerability

Share who you are. Many leaders think that sharing who they are will make them seem less professional. This is just not true. Be willing to share who you are, what you value, the mistakes you have made and the lessons you have learned along the way. The more genuine, the more honest, the more real you can be, the better the connection and the greater commitment to you from those that you lead.

Be authentic. Don’t try to be someone you are not. We often keep part of ourselves hidden because we want to conform to what we think others want to see. Being authentic shows that you are confident in yourself and it allows others to do the same.

Share how you feel. Feelings get a bad rap in business, but it’s often the best way to relate to those we lead. Share how you feel when things go right and when they go wrong. The truth is, people can probably sense it anyway. When you share openly how you feel, it gives those around you permission to do the same and it builds trust and relationships.

Listen to Understand, not just to respond. When we listen to understand it shows that we can admit that we don’t have all the answers. That we are willing to consider other perspectives and opinions. We often think we have to have all the answers when we are leading people, it’s just not the case. We can learn so much by listening, intently, to those we lead.

Admit your mistakes. As leaders we often feel that we have to be perfect, infallible. This creates a risk averse culture which leads to decreased innovation and creativity. By sharing your mistakes it creates and environment that can tolerate risks, survive failure and learn from mistakes.

These five tips will help you embrace your vulnerability as a leader and, in turn, build trust and relationships with your people! What’s stopping you from being vulnerable as a leader?