Embracing Vulnerability as a Strength in Leadership

Let’s be real: people don’t trust perfection.

They don’t follow the leader who’s always polished, always poised, always right. They follow the one who’s real. Who shows up with clarity, courage — and yes, vulnerability.

We’ve been sold this illusion that strength in leadership means having all the answers, hiding emotion, and keeping struggles private. But what actually builds momentum, loyalty, and performance?

Trust. Alignment. Human connection.

And those things only grow in the presence of vulnerability.

Research backs this up: one study found that leaders who were willing to show vulnerability were 60% more likely to build trust within their teams (Horton International). Similarly, a Gallup study noted that teams led by vulnerable leaders experienced a 25% higher employee engagement. Openness and authenticity aren’t just feel-good buzzwords — they are strategic assets that directly impact the bottom line.

Vulnerability Is the Bridge — Not the Risk

When a leader has the courage to say, “I’m struggling with this,” or “I don’t have all the answers,” it doesn’t make people lose respect. It draws them in.

It says, “You can trust me to be real with you.”

That moment of openness flips a switch. Walls drop. People exhale. It creates psychological safety — the foundation for innovation, contribution, and full engagement. Studies have found that companies that encourage vulnerability see significant boosts in creativity, trust, and team morale.

And yet, in many organizations, vulnerability is treated like a liability.

Here’s what happens instead:

• Teams second-guess leadership decisions because no one shares context.

• Employees withhold ideas because perfection is expected.

• Managers pretend everything’s fine while quietly burning out.

  
  

And all of it — every bit — is avoidable.

Because when leaders lead with vulnerability, they turn on the light. Suddenly everyone can see what they’re working with. People stop assuming, start aligning, and build solutions together.

The Real Damage Isn’t in the Struggle — It’s in Hiding It

Here’s what no one tells you: your team already knows when something’s wrong.

They may not have the full picture, but they can feel it. When you hide your struggles, they don’t think “Wow, what a strong leader.” They think, “I better keep my head down, too.”

That’s how cultures get quiet. That’s how innovation dies.

When people don’t feel safe to be vulnerable, they also don’t feel safe to be honest, take risks, or fully show up. You create a team of performers, not partners.

Patrick Lencioni, in his book The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, identified the absence of trust — born from a fear of vulnerability — as the root cause of team breakdowns. When vulnerability is missing, trust erodes, feedback disappears, and results suffer.

But when you normalize realness at the top — everything changes.

You stop managing optics and start managing energy. And that’s where true leadership begins.

A Personal Story of Vulnerability in Action

I recently had an experience that brought all of this to life.

I stepped into a leadership role at a new organization, excited to contribute. But almost immediately, I sensed something was wrong. There was no real training, no operational clarity, and the culture felt heavy – like a storm cloud hanging over everything. As someone deeply attuned to energy, my body picked up on it quickly: stress in my shoulders, disrupted sleep, a feeling of dread walking in the door. I knew this was more than onboarding discomfort – this was energetic misalignment.

At first, I tried to push through. But the longer I stayed, the more disconnected I felt. And I had a choice: walk away quietly, or step into courageous vulnerability.

I walked into my General Manager’s office holding a basic resignation letter — nothing detailed, just a formal acknowledgment of my intent to step away. But it wasn’t the letter that carried the weight — it was the words I spoke. I chose to lead with truth. I expressed my concerns directly and honestly: the absence of training, the lack of operational systems, the weight of a culture that felt heavy and unclear. My energy had been signaling discomfort for weeks, and I knew that continuing in silence would be a disservice to both myself and the organization.

To my surprise, that act of vulnerability created space for an authentic conversation. The GM didn’t get defensive. Instead, he met me in that moment. We talked about the challenges on both sides. There was no dramatic breakthrough, no immediate resolution — but the wall came down, even if just a little. We began to see each other as humans doing our best with what we had.

This wasn’t some overnight transformation. There was no sweeping realignment. But it was an opening. A point of contact. A shared moment of truth that laid the groundwork for change. We’ve made significant progress since then, but the work is ongoing. We’re not there yet. What happened in that meeting was the planting of a seed — vulnerability exchanged between two people, with the hope that, over time, and with continued effort, it will ripple outward into the wider culture.

If the organization had led with vulnerability from the beginning, it would have made all the difference. Saying, "We're working through some things, and we need strong partners who can help us build," would have made me feel like a collaborator, not a firefighter. Vulnerability turns on the light. It lets people see what they're actually walking into, and gives them the chance to contribute, commit, and co-create.

Without it? You're just walking in blind.

Why Vulnerability is Strategic, Not Soft

Vulnerability in leadership isn’t about over-disclosure or emotional dumping. It’s about saying, "Here’s where we are, here’s what we’re facing, and here’s what we need." It’s about creating a shared vision people can buy into. It’s about clarity. Connection. Commitment. And most importantly, truth.

When a leader has the courage to say "I’m struggling with this" or "I don’t have all the answers," it sends a powerful signal of authenticity. Showing that human side makes employees feel seen and safe. The leader becomes someone relatable, someone they can trust. Vulnerability builds connection and trust — the foundation of cohesive, resilient teams.

Modern leadership demands realness. In a world where transparency is expected and authenticity is the new currency, hiding your challenges is not strength — it's sabotage. Vulnerability, done with intention, is what forges the kind of workplace where people rise together.

Inauthenticity Kills Trust – Even When You Think No One Notices

Here’s something leaders often underestimate: your team sees more than you think.

Every time you tell a small lie to a client to avoid discomfort… Every time you dodge a question from a direct report to protect yourself… Every time you sugarcoat bad news to keep things “positive”…

Your team registers it.

Even if they don’t say a word. Even if they don’t consciously think, “My leader just lied,” something energetic gets recorded. And it says: “If they lie to others, they’ll lie to me.”

That micro-breach of trust doesn’t always show up as outright resistance. Sometimes it shows up as guardedness. A lack of engagement. A hesitancy to speak up. It creates isolation. Fear. And worst of all – inauthenticity.

The culture becomes one where people hide their truth for fear of being judged, dismissed, or deceived. Vulnerability can’t survive in that environment. And without vulnerability, trust never roots deep enough to grow anything real.

If you want your people to bring their full selves to work, you have to start by bringing yours.

Final Thoughts

Vulnerability is how energy moves. It’s how leadership breathes. When you suppress it, things stagnate. But when you let truth rise to the surface, people rally. They connect. They show up in ways they never would for someone hiding behind a mask.

At the ME Blog, we believe that mastering energy begins with mastering truth. Vulnerability is the gateway. Leaders who embrace it don’t just create results — they create cultures people want to belong to.

So lead with courage. Speak the truth. Let people in.

That’s where real leadership begins.