What is confident vulnerability in leadership, and why does it matter?
Vulnerability has become a buzzword in leadership and workplace culture, but it’s often misunderstood. In this episode I unpack what confident vulnerability actually looks like and what it definitely isn’t.
You’ll discover the difference between genuine humanness and performative oversharing, explore groundbreaking research and learn practical ways to build psychological safety and trust in teams without making yourself (or your team) uncomfortable.
Perfect for: Leaders, managers, HR professionals, and anyone wanting to create psychologically safe teams and build authentic workplace relationships.
If you’ve ever felt pressure to be “more open” at work but weren’t sure how to do it safely, or if you’ve experienced forced vulnerability that made you uncomfortable, this episode is for you.
Main Topics:
- Psychological safety at work and its impact on team performance
- Leadership vulnerability vs performative vulnerability
- Brené Brown’s vulnerability research and findings from Daring Greatly
- Amy Edmondson’s research on team psychological safety
- The OPEN model for professional vulnerability (Own, Purpose, Extend, Navigate)
- Building trust in leadership through intentional vulnerability
- Cultural intelligence and vulnerability across different contexts
- Workplace boundaries and emotional intelligence for leaders
- Team effectiveness and creating psychologically safe environments
What You’ll Learn
✅ The research-backed difference between confident vulnerability and performative oversharing
✅ How to use the OPEN model to practice professional vulnerability safely
✅ The surprising connection between admitting mistakes and team performance
✅ Why forced vulnerability is actually control, not connection
✅ How vulnerability looks different across cultures and identities
✅ Three micro-habits for building trust without crossing boundaries
Key Takeaways
Confident vulnerability is:
- Intentional, not impulsive
- Boundaried, not boundary-less
- About connection, not confession
- Building trust, not seeking validation
It’s NOT:
- Emotional dumping on your team
- Asking personal questions while sharing nothing yourself
- Using “I’m just being vulnerable” as an excuse for poor behaviour
- Pretending you have it all together when you don’t