Vulnerability (adjective): susceptible to physical or emotional harm.
After reading a definition like that, who wants to be vulnerable? It’s safe to say that if you asked that question in any crowded room, you’d be hard-pressed to find a single hand to go up. On the other hand, if you asked if anyone wanted to be known as a successful leader, you’d be able to easily count the number of hands that go up. Most people want to leave a legacy of confidence, sound leadership, and integrity. Ironically, the best leaders are usually okay with being vulnerable. In fact, they revel in it. Showing weaknesses may seem counterintuitive, but there are a few leaders who have proven that if you want to really make a major difference in your sphere of influence (community, neighborhood, workplace, home, place of worship), vulnerability is the name of the game.
Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz faced a great amount of criticism when an internal memo was leaked to the public. He felt betrayed, humiliated and hurt. However, the company was never the same after that memo. You see, in this memo, Schultz explained that the company had lost its way. No matter how bad the financial crisis got, there were certain components he wasn’t willing to trade in to save a dollar such as healthcare for all employees. In the memo, he was very clear about mistakes the company made in the past and how things needed an entire reset. For a company CEO to admit failure and share his need for help in shifting things around, that takes a significant level of vulnerability. Sure, someone decided to take advantage of his choice to be vulnerable, but it all ended up working out. Starbucks is a household name and has impacted millions of lives.
Confidence is still an important trait in any leader. For people to trust your leadership, it’s wise to portray a certain level of confidence. However, it’s still good to balance it out with vulnerability. What does that look like? It’s best manifested in two ways.
- Know your weaknesses.
For anyone to get further in life, it’s wise to identify the personal Achilles’ heel. Everyone has a weakness or two. To think that you’re strong in every facet of business is delusional. Sit down with your staff and do year-end reviews. While you evaluate them, find out what their evaluations of your leadership would be. It might be good to have a third party present to conduct and gather the data from the employees. Take note of the issues they continue to bring up. If a particular sentiment is shared among the teams, it’s best to take note of that and see how it can be improved. Don’t be afraid of honesty, because even though criticism hurts initially, it can serve you well when you’re trying to become a better leader and professional.
- Hire better people.
In a documentary, a famous musician made it clear that she wasn’t afraid of making mistakes, but that she also wasn’t’ afraid of people who could call her out. She made it clear that she has a strong desire to grow as a leader, professional and a person. As a result, she made it a point to hire people who were better than her in various facets of her company. She didn’t to surround herself with people who would only tell her yes, because of intimidation and fear. It’s worked in her favor because she is the best out of all her peers in the business. She runs her empire, but she also hasn’t been afraid to be vulnerable and say that she didn’t know much about specific areas of business and needed help.
If you’re not quite at a place where you can hear criticism and be vulnerable with your current staff, consider hiring a business coach. It’s often said that you can’t see the picture when you’re in the frame. This means that you can’t see your way out of a difficult situation when you’re in it. An extra set of eyes and ears can be extremely beneficial. A business coach will be able to see what you can’t see and guide you to a better way of thinking and processing information. Even in this setting, vulnerability is exercised. However, lean in and embrace it. Your legacy is worth it.
Any questions? Contact Michael DeSantis for more advice.
