We are all well aware by now that stagnation, overwhelm, and blah can creep into any workplace.
Burnout and poor mental health are common in today's workplaces, and leaders can no longer afford to ignore them.
It used to be easy to ignore claims of burnout, but the narrative around mental health, burnout, and vulnerability, especially in the workplace, has changed.
Vulnerability has often been viewed negatively due to it stemming from deep-rooted feelings of fear and insecurity, yet it can be a powerful tool for developing clarity and empathy.
What Is Vulnerability in Leadership?
Vulnerability in leadership is the willingness to be open and honest with your team, including sharing when you are challenged, admitting mistakes, and asking for help. It is not oversharing. Done well, it builds trust, empathy, and psychological safety, because it shows people it is safe to speak up.
Why Vulnerability in Leadership Matters
In a way, we are all susceptible to illness, regardless of our demographic and background.
Sure, some people may need to be more cautious than others, but nobody is truly immune.
When it's easy to accept this for our physical health, why do we resist admitting the same for our mental health?
We are all susceptible to burnout.
According to Brené Brown, "Vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation, creativity, and change."
How Can Leaders Embrace Vulnerability in the Workplace?
It starts at the top; as leaders embrace vulnerability, they become more authentic in their interactions and approachable to their peers and those they lead.
Vulnerable leadership looks like having the courage to share when you feel challenged and asking your team (your peers and those you lead) to have your back in the same way that you have their back.
Leaders who show that they too make mistakes, have bad days and get nervous before important meetings and presentations create a safe space for their teams to relate, empathize, and communicate.
At the end of the day, it's all about creating psychological safety so that your team feels safe to discuss their thoughts, fears, ideas, and share achievements.
Reward Vulnerability
One way to foster an organizational culture of vulnerability is to recognize, acknowledge, and reward vulnerability.
Consider rewarding your people who share vulnerably by...
Celebrating people who ask questions
Acknowledging people who speak up during and after meetings
Rewarding people who disagree and offer new ideas when problem-solving
Rewarding desired behaviors encourages others to follow suit and the more your team shares vulnerably, the more psychological safety and trust this will create in the team.
When everyone has a voice and can bring their authentic selves to work, innovation and engagement will flourish.
Celebrating Mistakes
Celebrating mistakes as "happy accidents" is another way to embrace vulnerability and create psychological safety.
Show your team that mistakes are learning moments, not something to feel stressed or judged about.
As you change the narrative around "mistakes", it will make it easier for employees to allow themselves to open up, ask for help, and share their setbacks.
When team members truly open up, they enter a world of continuous improvement and constant calculated risk-taking that will drive massive innovation efforts.
After all, you learn more from your mistakes than you learn from your successes.
"You have to be honest and authentic and not hide. I think the leader today has to demonstrate both transparency and vulnerability, and with that comes truthfulness and humility." Howard Schultz
Try a Feelings Wheel Check-In
I personally experienced the benefits of vulnerability and empathy at the workplace through a mandatory practice demonstrated by my manager during our weekly status calls.
My manager would first ask each of us to identify emotion from the feelings wheel and subsequently talk about it for one minute.
This exercise helped each of us become aware of our own and each other's current emotional state, thus allowing us to become self-aware and create a stronger bond as a team.
Vulnerable Leadership in Practice
Vulnerable leadership means:
Having the courage to share when you feel challenged
Rewarding acts of vulnerability
Reframing mistakes as learning moments
When used correctly, vulnerability can be an immensely powerful tool to:
Drive conversations with Clarity
Increase accountability and Autonomy
Build stronger bonds and Relationships
Create psychological safety through feelings of Equity
In essence, vulnerable leaders CARE™. Vulnerability also builds the empathy and emotional intelligence that great leaders rely on.
Do you strive to become a vulnerable leader? Do you CARE?
Ready to lead with more openness?
Vulnerable leaders build trust, clarity, and psychological safety. DX Learning helps leaders practice these habits every day, built on the CARE framework.
Explore the DX CARE framework or talk to our team about developing your leaders.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is vulnerability in leadership?
Vulnerability in leadership is the willingness to be open and honest with your team, including sharing when you are challenged, admitting mistakes, and asking for help. It is not oversharing. Done well, it builds trust, empathy, and psychological safety, because it shows people it is safe to speak up.
Is vulnerability a weakness or a strength in leaders?
It is a strength. Vulnerability can feel risky because it comes from fear and insecurity, yet it is a powerful tool for developing clarity and empathy. Leaders who embrace it become more authentic and approachable, and their teams feel safe to relate, communicate, and share ideas of their own.
How do leaders show vulnerability at work?
Leaders show vulnerability by sharing when they feel challenged and asking their team to have their back, just as they have the team's back. Admitting mistakes, having bad days, and getting nervous before big presentations are all honest signals. They create a safe space where others feel able to open up too.
Why is vulnerability important for psychological safety?
Psychological safety means your team feels safe to share thoughts, fears, ideas, and achievements. When leaders go first by being open, they show that honesty is welcome. The more a team shares vulnerably, the more safety and trust it builds, and the more innovation and engagement can flourish.
How can leaders reward vulnerability?
Recognize and reward the behaviors you want to see. Celebrate people who ask questions, acknowledge those who speak up during and after meetings, and reward people who disagree and offer new ideas. Treat mistakes as "happy accidents" and learning moments. Rewarded behavior spreads, so others will follow suit.
Does being vulnerable mean oversharing?
No. Vulnerable leadership is about having the courage to share when you feel challenged and to ask your team for support, not about unloading every feeling. Share what is relevant to the work and what helps others feel safe. Simple routines, such as a feelings wheel check-in, keep openness structured and comfortable.
What is a feelings wheel check-in?
A feelings wheel check-in is a short team practice where each person identifies an emotion from a feelings wheel and talks about it for one minute, often at the start of a weekly call. It helps everyone become aware of their own and each other's emotional state and creates a stronger bond as a team.
