In leadership, it takes courage to move beyond the polished professional persona and show your true self. While it may feel uncomfortable, vulnerability can be a powerful tool in business leadership for two significant reasons.
Firstly, vulnerability helps build trust. When you share personal experiences or challenges, you invite others to connect with you on a human level. According to Harvard researcher Jeff Polzer, vulnerability removes the barriers that often exist in teams, allowing for better collaboration without hesitation or fear.
Secondly, as a leader, you want to stay informed about the dynamics within your company. However, the people closest to the work often have a better understanding of what's truly happening. To hear their stories and gain their trust, you must show them that you are approachable and relatable, which can be achieved by embracing vulnerability.
One effective way to demonstrate vulnerability is through storytelling. Brené Brown, a renowned researcher in this field, has often highlighted how leaders can use personal stories to connect with their teams. Sharing your own experiences—whether they’re successes or failures—allows others to engage with your message and learn from your journey. This makes your insights more memorable and impactful.
One of the most compelling stories that brown shares in her book Dare to Lead involves a leadership training workshop she conducted with a group of executives from a large corporation. She challenged the leaders to open up about their own vulnerabilities—something that is often seen as a weakness in the corporate world. The group was initially resistant, but eventually, one of the leaders,
Sara, shared a deeply personal story. Sara confessed that she had been struggling with her role as a leader because of her fear of failure. She had recently made a major mistake that had resulted in a significant loss for the company. Despite her fear, she admitted that she needed help but was too afraid to ask for it, worried it would make her seem weak in front of her team.
Sara’s story resonated with the group, and as she shared her vulnerability, the other leaders also began to open up about their fears and mistakes. The atmosphere in the room shifted from one of defensiveness to one of trust and collaboration. The leaders left the workshop feeling more empowered to show vulnerability in their leadership, knowing that it could build stronger relationships with their teams and drive greater success.
Brown’s work has shown time and again that vulnerability is not a weakness but a strength that allows leaders to connect with their teams on a deeper level. Leaders who embrace vulnerability create an environment of trust and safety, which ultimately leads to better decision-making, higher levels of engagement, and improved performance.

Vulnerability in leadership also creates a safer space for people to make mistakes and learn from them. Google's research on high-performing teams found that psychological safety—feeling safe to take risks and make mistakes—is crucial for success. When leaders share their own mistakes and the lessons they’ve learned, they help others feel comfortable doing the same.
If you're a senior leader looking to foster stronger connections with your team, start by embracing vulnerability. Share real-life experiences—especially those that didn’t go as planned—and watch how this openness strengthens relationships and builds resilient, high-performing teams.
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