Vulnerability in leadership

I think most people would now agree that vulnerability is not weakness. It’s actually the guts to show up.
Without the mask. Without the armour. Real, raw and authentic.
And in leadership, that can be the difference between followership and tolerance.
Because people don’t connect to your title; they connect to your truth.

What it’s not

If your team never sees you struggle, admit fault, or ask for help, do they think you’re super strong? Maybe. More likely, they think you’re full of shit.
The days of the bulletproof leader are dead and buried. Nobody’s buying it.
We’re in an era where people want to work with leaders, not under them. Leading with bravado is not it.

Tiny noticeable things

Vulnerability isn’t about turning team meetings into therapy sessions.
It is about the little actions day-to-day:

  • Owning your mistakes – “That call was on me. Here’s what I missed and I’m sorry.” It builds trust faster than any offsite ever will.
  • Admitting you don’t know – Try “I don’t have the answer yet, but I’m working on it.” It’s okay to not have all the answers, all of the time.
  • Sharing lessons, not just wins – Talk about the things that humbled you, stretched you, or the losses you’ve taken and grown from. People remember those stories.
  • Asking for help – Not as a power play, but because you genuinely value and acknowledge someone else’s expertise. That’s collaboration and respect, not weakness.

These aren’t grand gestures. They’re everyday actions that show you’re human.

What’s in it for me?

  • A team that can be honest.
  • A team that learns faster.
  • People who don’t pretend to be perfect.
  • A climate of collaboration and support.

It creates loyalty.

Because if you can own your fallibility, you give everyone else permission to be human too. That’s not just good for morale, it supercharges team performance.

And if you don’t?

You create a culture of fear.
Fear of speaking up.
Fear of failure.
Fear of looking stupid.

So what happens?
Silence. Stagnation. Smiles that hide resentment.
Your people stop telling you when things are going wrong.
Or worse — they stop caring altogether.

So, drop the mask.
Ditch the ego.
Show them the human behind the title.

It’s not just safe, it’s smart.

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