Selective Vulnerability of A Leader

Vulnerability as a leadership skill? Yeah, you read that correctly. Vulnerability has never been listed as a leadership skill in any of the forums. A strong leader is synonymous with anything powerful.

But why have we lost sight of the fact that a leader is a person? People who are aligned with and around a leader are often human beings.

Our brains respond positively to people when we feel a personal bond with them, according to research. We work even harder, do a better job, and our coworkers are kinder. Command and control management is becoming obsolete, and some managers are demonstrating empathy and attempting to communicate with their subordinates.

Leaders' ability to be honest and transparent, even if it makes them uncomfortable, is important because it builds faith. The fictitious worried leader is easily recognizable. The certainty grows much higher if a leader never shows emotion. However, we sense a bond and are more likely to accept the words when a leader reveals a more personal side of himself, and we believe it is genuine.

Vulnerability as the team binding glue

Genuine connections are formed when you are open and honest about your feelings. Vulnerability fuels the best relationships, which can change productivity and ensure an organisation achieves greater excellence. The most audacious act of a leader is to admit that he or she is weak. A leader who admits "I don't know" or "I was wrong" fosters an environment of trust.

Everyone should recognise that trust is an essential component of a cooperative workplace, but it's a broad term and it's hard to pin down exactly what it means. To help people understand the nature of trust, as a strong connection with someone else, Brené breaks it down into seven component components identified by the acronym BRAVING.

Boundaries: Set your own boundaries and accept those of others.

Reliability: means delivering on your promises. This entails not over-promising at work, being upfront about limitations, and sticking to deadlines.

Accountability: includes taking responsibility for your decisions and acknowledging and correcting your errors.

Vault: Don't share sensitive details with people you don't know.

Integrity: means sticking to your beliefs, no matter how difficult or inconvenient they may be, and remaining true to your ideals even when no one is looking.

Non-judgment: Ask for support without judging the person from whom you are seeking assistance. Similarly, give assistance without passing judgement on those who seek it.

Generosity: When people have positive intentions, suggestions, or plans, give them the benefit of the doubt.

How to be Selectively Vulnerable?

As Brown puts it, “life is vulnerable.” We don't have to choose to be insecure, she says. We must instead decide how we will respond when presented with elements of vulnerability such as complexity, risk, and emotional exposure. Vulnerability is something that all of us tend to prevent or conceal. Some of us are apprehensive about being transparent because we think it would expose our "secrets." We think being vulnerable means spilling our hearts to strangers and "letting it all hang out," as Brown puts it. She claims that vulnerability, on the other hand, respects boundaries and loyalty. "Vulnerability is about sharing our opinions, feelings, and emotions with others who have earned the right to hear us."If they get emotional, the best leaders will press the pause button. This is where you need to learn how to become a Selective Vulnerable.

You must share in order to build confidence, but you must not overshare at the risk of jeopardising it. "Selective vulnerability" is the term for this state of equilibrium.

The best leaders are open about their emotions while still delivering a transparent service.