The key is not just to be open and vulnerable, but to pair vulnerability with vision, explanation, and direction. Individuals can start by being open about their mistakes and then focusing on what they are doing to improve. As leaders, it is crucial to foster a culture where vulnerability is supported, as many people fear being perceived as weak or incompetent when being vulnerable at work. This can be addressed by emphasizing the actions taken to address the mistakes, show improvement, and drive progress.
We have to be vulnerable in order to build trust in our relationships. But as Jacob Morgan says, “Vulnerability for leaders is not the same as it is for everybody else.”
In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, Morgan shares with host Matt Abrahams his “vulnerable leadership equation” and how leaders can use it to transform the way they interact with others — creating more trust, unlocking people’s potential, and building successful teams and organizations.
As Morgan explains, owning up to your mistakes and struggles might make you vulnerable, but it doesn’t necessarily make you a leader. In his latest book, Leading with Vulnerability: Unlock Your Greatest Superpower to Transform Yourself, Your Team, and Your Organization, Morgan lays out why leading with vulnerability goes a step further, saying, “Here's what I learned from the mistake that I made [and] steps that I'm going to put into place to make sure this doesn't happen again.”
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