Vulnerability in Leadership

What behaviours encompass high quality leadership?

More importantly, what skills do we need to develop to sustain high quality leadership?

These are two questions I am currently focusing on throughout my research. You see, although we have a myriad of research studies in the area of leadership, there are still many nascent topics. For example, there is a stigma which prevents leaders from being vulnerable, this stigma impacts a leaders development and well-being. Unfortunately owning up to ‘not having it all figured out’ may be perceived as a weakness, when in fact it is a strength.

The reality is sustaining high quality leadership is an ongoing process of developing various skills. These skills are both intrapersonal and interpersonal. Whether it is managing our own well-being, dealing with imposter syndrome or motivating team members - these are just some examples of skills - which can be learned. In my experience, very few leaders by the way have it all figured out and this is certainly not a criticism. A process as dynamic as leadership evolves rapidly and as a result, so do the skills needed.

However, it can be difficult for leaders to admit this.

As a consequence of the ultra competitive world of work we operate in today, a leader who admits to lacking certain skills may be viewed as unsuitable for their role. The result - this can leave leaders feeling isolated, negatively impact the growth of them and their teams and eventually, due to lack of resources and insurmountable demands - burnt out.

One of my goals is to create a resource for leaders to connect with one another to share wisdom and knowledge and most importantly to reduce this stigma.

In a world of ever increasing demands we rely heavily on adequate resources - our physical, mental and emotional well-being is constantly being put to the test in leadership roles - and although cultures are changing, we still have a long way to go.

When leaders begin to share vulnerabilities and seek support, we create environments conducive to high psychological safety, well-being and performance - both for leaders and their teams. If your organisation is seeking sustainable performance over the long-term, creating an environment of ongoing peer to peer learning is critical. Failure to reduce this stigma for leaders acts as a barrier to this knowledge sharing and relationship building.

I have identified a number of critical skills through research that most leaders know are important, but will refrain from admitting they lack. This lack of disclosure has been born out of what are now outdated and myopic cultural norms. By highlighting these skills and offering actionable steps to develop them, we can reduce the rates of leadership burnout, not only this but create the type of cultures we can be truly proud of.

With warmest regards,

Mark

Founder, Leaders Connect