, Still Hiding Behind Confidence? Real Leaders Choose This Instead...

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Hi !

Welcome to this week's edition, where we slice through the fancy façade of “confidence” and get real about a critical leadership trait most folks skip over: Vulnerability.

In the last edition, I poked the bear on how a fragile culture can’t hide behind cool perks like four-day weeks and wellness apps (fun for a while until the cracks start showing.)

This time around? We’re looking at one of the most underestimated qualities that separates transparent, resilient cultures from the ones dancing on the edge of chaos.

What’s In It For You:

• Understanding Vulnerability: Why it’s NOT a soft spot.

• Practical Applications: Quick wins to help you lead with greater authenticity.

• Real-Life Example: A crisis story that proves vulnerability sparks both trust and innovation.

Let’s Talk Vulnerability

Still convinced that vulnerability is all about tears and tissues? Does showing any cracks in your armour mean you’re weak or, gasp, human?

If so, you’re not alone. But guess what? You’re also missing the boat.

I used to believe that admitting I didn’t know something would be leadership suicide.

I had this bizarre notion that a “real leader” always projects unwavering confidence (even if it’s just a giant bluff).

Turns out, the biggest bluff of all was believing that strong leadership means never saying, “I don’t know.”

Vulnerability doesn’t drain your authority. It fuels trust. And if your team trusts you? They’ll walk through walls for you.

This doesn’t mean oversharing your entire life’s story on the next Zoom call. It means giving a genuine heads-up when you’re in over your head or owning up to a screw-up before the rumour mill gets there first. That’s real authenticity.

In short: True strength is about knowing WHEN to bend.

Practical Steps to Demonstrating Vulnerability

1. Acknowledge Limitations: Put your hand up and say, “I don’t know,” when that’s the truth. It sounds simple, but it’s a super skill for team morale and learning culture.​

2. Seek Feedback: Ask your people how you’re doing. Often. Be ready to hear awkward truths. Trust me, the view from the ground floor can reveal cracks you’ve never seen from the corner office.​

3. Share Personal Stories: Don’t Be a Mystery. A quick anecdote about a time you stumbled humanises you, and guess what? Humans actually want to follow humans, not robots.

Case Study: Vulnerability Leading to Innovation

In 2024, Philips found itself embroiled in a scandal when it had to recall numerous CPAP and ventilator machines. It turned out that some foam components could harm users’ health.

Enter Roy Jakobs, the new CEO, who decided sugarcoating was for doughnuts, not crises.

He openly acknowledged the company’s mistakes and set a tone of transparency that rippled through the entire organisation. By turning vulnerability into a core value, he ignited a wave of fresh thinking in health tech and AI.

Jakobs proves it: when leaders put honesty over image, teams feel safe to innovate. And that’s when your organisation goes from “barely coping” to “leading the pack.“

Leading with Vulnerability - Jacob Morgan

For those of you hungry to gp deeper, Jacob Morgan has an excellent read on harnessing vulnerability as a leadership superpower (rather than some “touchy-feely liability”).

It’s especially good for those of us juggling massive expectations and complex teams.

Quick Note: Schedule Your Free 30-Minute Clarity Call

Feeling that friction between looking strong and actually being strong?

That was me, once upon a meltdown. I learned (the hard way) that powering through burnout is not a leadership strategy but rather a crash course in vulnerability and self-discovery.

Ready to skip the crisis and embrace authenticity?

👉 Schedule your complimentary 30-minute clarity call here and let's build a leadership journey that's as sustainable as it is inspiring.

Let's Reflect:

1. When was the last time you confessed to a mistake in front of your team?​

2. How open is the communication floodgate in your organisation?​

3. In what ways can you be the ‘vulnerable role model’ that inspires trust and fresh ideas?

Fun Corner

Ever heard of “Failure Fridays”?

Once a month, everyone shares a recent mishap and the lessons learned from it. It’s a playful way to normalise mistakes and celebrate the learning curve (because if we’re not failing at something, maybe we’re not trying hard enough.)

Got your own quirky leadership ritual? Hit reply and share.

Thank you to everyone who responded last week!

A Personal Reflection

Listen, this hits home for me. You're likely aware by now of how I crashed headfirst into burnout back in 2014, fueled by my own perfectionism and extremely long working hours.

I assumed that if I slowed down, my leadership credibility would go poof.

Opening up about my stress and seeking help didn’t turn me into some powerless husk of a leader. Instead, it helped me forge genuine connections with my team, build a more supportive environment, and, ironically, boost our productivity.

Vulnerability was instrumental in helping me on my way out of the mess and my team’s way up.

The Final Word

Vulnerability isn’t some cringe-worthy overshare. It’s how you build unbreakable trust and spark that magic blend of morale and momentum in your team.

So let’s get rid of the hollow confidence and lead with genuine humanity.

Believe me, people see right through the shiny shell, and they’re far more inspired when they spot a real, relatable human being underneath.

Share Your Thoughts

What clicked for you this week? Perhaps you had a mini-epiphany about your own leadership style, or maybe you disagree with everything I said (it happens, after all!).

Hit reply. Let me know. This journey is infinitely more interesting when we walk it together.

How Else I Can Help

I also offer consulting services based on my senior leadership experience and am available for speaking engagements, including events, keynotes, podcasts, and course recordings.

For further details, contact me here or reply to this email.

Thanks for reading and see you next time!

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