Thanks to experts like Brené Brown, the notion that vulnerability equals weakness is starting to become outdated. That being said, being vulnerable is not easy. Lots of people still experience blockages around showing vulnerability – let alone showing vulnerability in the workplace.
“I wish all professionals knew that vulnerability in the workplace could be a powerful tool, not just a sign of weakness. It’s important to create a culture where people feel safe and comfortable being vulnerable. It leads to more open communication, trust and connection between colleagues,” says Emma Williams, a certified strengths and career coach and the Chief Research Officer at HIGH5. “We have been conditioned to believe showing vulnerability, especially at work, is a sign of weakness. However, what we now know is that expressing vulnerability, especially when you are leading others, is a significant sign of strength and courage,” adds Barbie Winterbottom, HR consultant and CEO of The Business of HR.
The benefits of vulnerability in the workplace
In other words, vulnerability is not just something that affects your personal life. It bleeds into your professional world and can be the differentiator between a healthy workplace culture and a toxic one.
The benefits of vulnerability in the workplace start with leaders who are willing to be open even when it’s uncomfortable. For example, leaders who don’t try to pretend like they are perfect and know the answers all the time tend to create a sense of psychological safety in their team. “Strong leaders are confident enough to let others see them without all the answers, which, in turn, empowers employees to find their own answers and show vulnerability themselves,” says Winterbottom.
“The key benefits of embracing vulnerability at work include building trust, creating an open environment for innovation, encouraging collaboration and teamwork, and nurturing psychological safety. All these things can help create a better work culture, as well as helping to boost morale and performance in the workplace,” according to Williams.
Vulnerability normalizes emotions in the workplace. When leaders display authentic emotions, they instantly become more relatable to their reports, which breeds trust and connection – two key ingredients of collaborative, high-performing teams. “When employees see their leaders showing emotions, such as sadness, empathy and compassion, it humanizes them and makes them significantly more relatable. Humans follow people they aspire to be or who they feel reflects how they see the world,” adds Winterbottom. “Pretending to have all the answers or that we don’t get upset or hurt or have all the same emotions as our employees creates a barrier to connection and a lack of trust.”
According to her, this lack of trust can be destructive to authenticity: “When we don’t see anything relatable in a leader, we instinctively can lack trust, and when we lack trust, we don’t share our authentic selves.”
The opposite is also true. Vulnerability is essential to authenticity. And in a world where people are quietly quitting left and right, authenticity is a refreshing way to foster employee engagement and retention. Attracting and retaining people is not always about monetary incentives. Being able to be yourself at work without issues plays a huge role in job satisfaction. Leaders who are willing to be vulnerable lead the way in creating that climate of authenticity – provided that their own displays of vulnerability are genuine, of course.
“You cannot fake genuine vulnerability. People can see through the facade of fake emotions, so I highly encourage leaders to simply allow their authentic selves to shine through – don’t pretend to feel something if you don’t,” recommends Winterbottom. “Instead, learn to identify what you are feeling and how to express it.
Examples of vulnerability in the workplace
Wondering what appropriate levels of vulnerability at work look like in action? Williams says that being vulnerable at work can look like being honest about a mistake you made and how you plan on improving, speaking up about something that’s bothering you or honestly sharing your perspective, asking for help when you need it instead of pretending everything is okay, and showing empathy and understanding towards a coworker who is going through a difficult time.
It’s not about unloading all your emotional baggage on your coworkers. “Not all emotions need to be shared, there is such a thing as oversharing, which can also be detrimental to both the person sharing and those receiving the message,” says Winterbottom. “It takes emotional intelligence to know yourself and to understand your audience – and how to relate, both cognitively and emotionally. Our best leaders make us feel important, safe and cared for. Showing vulnerability helps bring this to fruition.”
If you want to start being more vulnerable at work, just start showing more of your true self instead of a polished professional veneer. You’ll be amazed at the way others respond.
