Being Vulnerable to Achieve Impact as a Leader
Vulnerability can be a very uncomfortable experience. It involves uncertainty, exposure, risk, and courage. In a workplace setting, it can be even more difficult to open up, especially if you’re in a leadership position. As a leader, we must challenge ourselves to be brave by allowing some discomfort in the pursuit of impact.
Someone who is constantly setting the stage for conversation is my friend and colleague, Dominic D’Andrea. A writer, producer, cultural worker, and currently the NYS Representative for the Dramatists Guild, Dominic is no stranger to being vulnerable in front of a crowd. His passion for community moved into him creating the One-Minute Play Festival. Which in its simplest form, is an opportunity for people to be heard.
Creating a space in which people feel like they can talk openly can be laborious, but is crucial for a progressive, productive discussion. This idea is discussed further in a Forbes article written by Casey Sime. She explains, “Vulnerability, as a resource in leadership and within the workplace, can impact the entire culture and creativity of a team.” There is a difference between the type of vulnerability that leaves you sharing feelings in a circle, and the more leadership-centered sense of the word.
During our interview, Dominic dropped this truth bomb:
“You don’t have a right to comfort. You have an obligation to vulnerability if you’re going to make change.”
Everytime I read this quote, I get chills! The awareness it takes to realize that comfort is a privilege is inspiring and super challenging in the best way. Dominic went on to talk about how the concept of a “safe space” is overused and misunderstood. In times of real, raw discussion, there isn’t much room for comfort.
It takes time and effort to create this type of space, but it builds trust and elevates performance by decreasing the shame and fear around being vulnerable in front of others. In Dominic’s work, he explained that the best method of creating these sorts of spaces is by first earning trust. A powerful way to do that is not by taking control, but rather by actively listening, and taking a more back-seat approach in favor of the voices that need to be heard louder than our own. “But it all starts with people being in a room, willing to share and talk,” explained Dominic.
The bottom line is that aspiring to incorporate vulnerability in our everyday lives helps us grow not just in leadership, but also in our soul. The leader in us wants to make a positive impact, and inspire others to do the same. Deep conversation, as squirmy as it can feel, is a tried and true way to achieve that goal. To have a real, meaningful discussion it has to include more than one voice.
I challenge you to give space for others, and to encourage the ones who usually stay quiet to share their thoughts. Being vulnerable is a challenge, and it is a gift. If you do so with the intention of sharing for the benefit of others, you’ll be successful in more ways than you can count.
For the full interview with Dominic D’Andrea, click below!
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