Dare to Lead
Takeaway:
Leading is more than being willing to take decision-making risks. Great leaders know that taking personal risks is how you get the best results. The most important way to do this is through leading with vulnerability.
Guiding Questions:
What personal risks are you willing to take to build trust with your team?
How much does ego play a role in you being vulnerable?
What are the costs of protecting yourself?
How can you lead with vulnerability?
Summary:
Brene Brown is famous for writing about vulnerability and leadership. In fact, her books have gone on to be best sellers, she is a highly sought of speaker, and serves as a consultant to many great and successful companies. This all stems from her earlier research on fear and vulnerability, finding that those who are vulnerable tend to be more courageous and creative and higher performers.
How does this all relate to leadership? At its core, all leaders require a certain amount of trust and strength to be effective. Think about a leader that is not well trusted, and when they try to do something new or innovative, what is the immediate response of the staff? Groaning, fear, a lack of enthusiasm, and many other unpleasant responses.
What if the same new idea were to be shared by a highly trusted leader? The same staff would experience excitement, energy, or at least know they are a part of something bigger than themselves.
By being a vulnerable leader, you are able to increase your trust quickly and deeply with your teams. This requires a heavy dose of strength and humility. Being open, but not a blabbering mess, is hard to do. Leaders have loads of pressure on them to ensure their teams perform and this can cause leaders to put up walls. But, the one’s who tear down those walls, ask for feedback, have the hard conversations, and let themselves be humanized, they can demonstrate the qualities of strength and humility that are very needed in successful leadership.
So, what is the final big idea? That great leaders need to demonstrate their strength, humility, and openness to build trust, which is absolutely necessary in great leadership. The best way to accomplish this is through being vulnerable with people, be the real you, and allow yourself to rely on others. This authentencity is the springboard to vulnerability and leadership success.
Leadership Thoughts:
Fear paralyzes and vulnerability frees leaders to act. Do not rely on yourself to shoulder the weight of your team, department, or organization, but be vulnerable enough to be open and trust those around you. This is not the same as always showing your emotions or sharing your deepest insecurities, but requires the humility of knowing that others have a lot to contribute, if you let them.
Be aware that while vulnerability transcends human experience, it can be received very differently in each culture. This is true not only for work or company cultures, but also for international cultures. For example, vulnerability can be a key component of leadership in many European nations, is becoming more accepted in North America, but is clearly a sign of weakness in much of East Asia. Be smart with your vulnerability and help to build this into your work culture to see its real impact.