Vulnerability at work: learn how being imperfect helps you lead

If you think that a good leader must be impeccable, know that this vision is no longer the most appropriate for the market, which has valued vulnerability at work.

What is vulnerability at work?

If we were to have this conversation 10 years ago, it is likely that the term “vulnerability at work” would have been met with disdain. After all, vulnerability is synonymous with weakness, right? Not always!

Many gurus consider that vulnerability is responsible for the loss of opportunities and even sabotage by “smart” colleagues.

But, if we look at it from another perspective, from the point of view of team integration, dealing with someone who is too big can bring some difficulties.

This is because people feel insecure about presenting their ideas to a leader who seems perfect and self-sufficient, as they believe that their contributions will not be useful.

That's why, Vulnerability at work is important to show team members that even highly skilled people have their weaknesses and need support and contributions.

This certainly creates an integrated team, as well as providing conditions for all employees to develop their skills.

What is the limit of vulnerability at work?

In the previous topic we explained that vulnerability at work has nothing to do with leaving yourself exposed to sabotage by third parties, or even showing yourself to be weak and incapable.

In this case, there is a huge gap between being perfect and being totally inadequate, and this vulnerability is only intended to show that you have difficulties, just like everyone else, and that this does not reduce your professional relevance.

But, understand that this has nothing to do with being an absent or negligent leader or allowing your ideas and determinations to be invalidated by the greed of other people.

We must remember that the work environment is highly competitive, so it is important to feel pain, without bleeding in a shark tank.

What we mean is: people cannot see you as someone without feelings or unapproachable, just as they cannot believe that any gust of wind will knock you down or that your positions should not be taken seriously.

Therefore, have control and try to let go of perfection, without leaving aside the image of trust and professionalism.

How does vulnerability at work help you lead?

Well, at this point you understand that there is an important limit to vulnerability at work, in order to prevent others from seeing you as someone easy to overcome.

In this case, this vulnerability only serves to humanize your professional image, and thus bring you closer to your colleagues.

That said, below we will see how this “flexibility” helps in good leadership, in case you still believe that an indisputable image is more worthwhile.

1. Team approach

Many leaders arrive on their first day of work and realize that people look at them with fear and the famous “unfriendly look”.

In general, this happens because companies tend to present the new leader's resume to employees in advance, which creates that feeling of “wow, how can I talk to this person?”

A good resume often conveys the impression of authority, and authority is often confused with arrogance by many people.

Therefore, by showing vulnerability at work, you remove this image of inaccessible authority, and show the team that everyone can approach and trust your leadership.

++6 Questions to understand people management in high-performance companies – The Administrator.

2. Openness to dialogue and sincerity

There is nothing worse than realizing that a collaborator had a better idea for a project, or even identified an error, but did not point it out for fear of talking to the leader.

In general, this happens when this leader appears to be perfect, which brings insecurity to employees, who believe that their contributions are unnecessary, or will hardly be considered.

By demonstrating vulnerability at work, you remove this “veneer of perfection,” which gives employees the autonomy to question processes and provide their contributions.

This way, with dialogue and sincerity, it is easy to resolve any pending issues before they become a problem.

3. Sense of appreciation for employees

If you have ever felt important after correcting a mistake in the team, or even for presenting an idea that everyone liked, you certainly understand that appreciation is an effective fuel in the corporate world.

Therefore, by demonstrating vulnerability at work, you open up space for employees to see that they have unique skills and abilities.

Remember that everyone has the leader as a reference, and that this reference can bring a feeling of inferiority, when accompanied by arrogance and vanity.

Therefore, try to make room for humility and let your colleagues see that you also need help. This will certainly make them feel valued.

How does toxic competitiveness relate to vulnerability?

When it comes to the professional environment, we know that even our defects and flaws must be shown with care.

This is because a simple, misguided phrase can become gossip in the mouths of people with bad intentions, and thus harm relationships with colleagues and the author's image.

Therefore, vulnerability at work must be very well calculated, in order to show humility and humanity. But, it should never devalue you or put you in embarrassing situations.

For example, instead of saying “I don’t know how to do this”, say “you can help me with this task, because you do it very well”. Note that you didn’t say that you don’t know how to do it, you just recognized the other person’s value.

Remember that there are people ready to judge anything as a shortcoming or weakness, so show yourself to be open, but never weak.

Finally, now that you understand how important being imperfect is, take the right approaches to gain the trust and collaboration of your team.

This may interest you: Authentic Leadership: what it is, its importance and how to apply it – The Administrator.

Roberta October 4, 2024

Career