#55 Blog. Leading with Vulnerability: The New Competitive Advantage Who Drive Results

When I opened the second session of a leadership workshop I’ve facilitated, the room was tense. It was the first time this group of managers was in one room discussing some management topics that normally day to day push away.

When their managers joined a session to discuss “what was not working?” and “what can we do better in order to align?”, the silence was heard.

Trust was fragile.

No one wanted to show uncertainty, especially not the participants.

Mid-discussion, one senior leader paused and said: “I don’t have all the answers here- I’d value your perspective. I need to hear it please”.

There was another moment of silence.

Then something shifted.

The conversation opened.

Assumptions were challenged.

Risks surfaced.

Ownership increased.

What had been stuck for began to move.

That moment was not weakness. It was leadership.

Vulnerability Is Not What You Think

I remember been trained in the army, later in the police, both very masculine organizations, no matter where in the world. I saw a lot of leaders debating about whether to voice up or not, what to say and how to keep the figure they were trying to act upon.

Not surprisingly, I can see it in different kinds of organizations, tech companies and more.

Reading Brené Brown years ago totally makes sense. In her research she spoke extensively about vulnerability in traditionally “masculine” institutions, including the U.S. Army, Navy SEALs, and law enforcement.

Her research-based message:

“Vulnerability is not weakness. It is the birthplace of courage.”

For years, leaders were taught to project certainty, strength, and control. Doubt was dangerous. Admitting you didn’t know was risky. Many organizations still operate under this unspoken code:

Be strong.

Don’t show doubt.

Leaders must know.

Emotions slow us down.

In technical, operational, and high-growth environments, certainty becomes currency.

But here’s the paradox: the more complex the reality is, the more dangerous fake certainty becomes.

When leaders pretend to know everything, people stop speaking up. Innovation drops. Risks surface too late. Burnout grows.

Silence may look like strength- but often it is fear.

Fear of speaking out, fear of being mistaken.

In today’s reality where complexity is constant and change is continuous, certainty is often artificial.

Vulnerability in leadership is not oversharing. It is not emotional dumping. It is not lack of confidence.

It is:

• Acknowledging uncertainty when reality is uncertain

• Owning mistakes quickly and transparently

• Asking for input before decisions calcify

• Naming tension instead of letting it spread silently

In other words, vulnerability is intentional transparency in service of performance.

The Data Behind It

This is not just a cultural trend, it is also measurable.

According to Harvard Business Impact, psychological safety is essential for team innovation, learning, and performance, creating a culture where people can speak up without fear is foundational to high-performing teams.

Great!

So, what’s the connection between so called psychological safety and vulnerability of managers??

Gallup data indicates that teams led by managers who model openness and authenticity show significantly higher engagement and innovation levels. Managers account for 70% of variance in employee engagement.

That’s an amazing number don’t you think??

Trust is not a “soft” metric. It is a productivity multiplier.

When leaders create safety, teams spend less energy protecting themselves and more energy solving problems.

Why Vulnerability Drives Results

1. It Accelerates Trust

Trust reduces frictions and gaps. Less second-guessing. Less political filtering. More direct conversations.

2. It Improves Decision Quality

When leaders signal openness, people speak up earlier. Risks surface before they become a real financial or productional crises.

3. It Increases Retention

People stay where they feel respected and heard, especially high performers which we tend to believe will stay forever (hint- they are the first to run).

4. It Strengthens Authority (Not Weakens It)

Leaders who admit limits are often perceived as more credible.

Why Leaders Struggle With It

Many leaders connect vulnerability with loss of authority.

Particularly in technical, operational, or high-performance environments, control feels safer than openness. Control gives you control, literally. But what does it take?

Cultural norms reinforce the belief that leaders must always know.

But authority built on control is fragile. Authority built on trust is resilient.

Controlled vulnerability increases influence. It signals maturity and self-awareness.

What It Looks Like in Practice

Vulnerability does not require grand gestures. It shows up in small moments:

• “I might be wrong, what am I missing?”

• “This is complex. Here’s what we know and what we don’t.”

• “I handled that conversation poorly. Let’s reset.”

These statements do not weaken a leader. They elevate the room.

The Boundary: When Vulnerability Becomes Unhelpful

Like any leadership tool, it must be used wisely.

Unhelpful vulnerability includes:

• Processing personal anxiety through your team: “I feel out of control, I hope you guys can hold it for now”

• Sharing fear without direction: “I believe we are in the middle of a huge crises, and I don’t know what our next steps should be”

• Expressing doubt without accountability: “What was decided by the board was a decision I will never take, even today”

Vulnerability without stability creates uncertainty. Vulnerability with grounded leadership creates safety.

The difference is intentionality.

The Real Competitive Advantage

We no longer operate in environments where leaders can pretend certainty. Even in organizations like the army, we can see that those masks are no longer working. Teams see through the cracks of those leaders who try to fake it.

Organizations change fast. Markets change too quickly. We have multiple layers of generations managing our organizations.

The future does not require perfect leaders.

It requires grounded, self-aware leaders who can hold complexity without pretending control.

Vulnerability, when intentional, is not exposure. It is leadership maturity. And increasingly, it is a competitive advantage.

If you think you need to know more about vulnerability, but more importantly want to practice it- RiseBud would be the est platform for you.

Explore RiseBud here

Thanks,

Hana