The power of vulnerability when leading change
As Janice Omadeke writes in Harvard Business Review,“this stubborn stereotype is a holdover from the stoic portrait of the mid-century male breadwinner — unfeeling and stone-faced, the ideal image of power and professionalism — that dominated the workforce for generations.”
So it’s perhaps unsurprising that in conversations with more than 500 global CEOs, McKinsey found that “these otherwise talented executives often hadn’t taken the time to be vulnerable—that is, to reflect and connect authentically with themselves so they can connect more effectively with their teams.”
But today's complex organisational challenges demand something different. In the words of sociologist and business professor Rosabeth Moss Kanter, “the world is not getting better by itself. Making the world a better place demands more and better leaders.”
Leading by example is key to making change stick, as we explore in chapter 3 of our landmark report — ‘Beyond the backlash: The leader’s guide to integrating DEI’. And the most effective leaders are discovering that vulnerability — being willing to acknowledge uncertainty, show humility, and learn publicly — can be transformational. Leaders set the tone and need to make it safe for their teams to speak up.
Honesty, transparency, curiosity
Vulnerable leadership doesn’t mean displaying weakness or indecision. Rather, it's about having the confidence to acknowledge that no one has all the answers, especially when tackling complex cultural challenges. It means being transparent about your own learning journey and anxieties, and creating space for others to do the same. It recognises that culture isn’t something leaders can control, but something that emerges within an environment they cultivate. As Daniel Coyle, author of The Culture Code, argues, it foregrounds “the truly important questions: what’s really happening here? How can we get better together?”
This approach might seem counter-intuitive. Won't showing vulnerability undermine authority? The latest research suggests otherwise, pointing to how leader vulnerability makes employees feel not just more competent, but also more connected. It sends a message that we’re all humans, working things out together. Our experiences with clients confirm that when leaders model humility, they create the conditions for innovation, honest dialogue, and meaningful change.
Dr Zoe Young, founder of Half the Sky explains, “Embracing vulnerability can influence stubborn norms of inequality like gender divisions in family life and caring. Women have long dominated most forms of flexible working. Men are increasingly working flexibly for the same reasons but are quieter about it. Being vulnerable means men leaving work loudly, explaining what they are doing and why. This is a vulnerable thing to do because of the stigma around flexible working but it has a powerful influence on the work culture.”
Vulnerable leadership in practice
Vulnerability could also show up as a senior executive sharing how feedback from their team changed their perspective on flexible working. Or a manager openly discussing their journey to understand how particular workplace practices might inadvertently exclude certain groups. Rather than always having the right answers, vulnerable leaders prioritise listening to employees and genuinely trying to understand their perspectives. As defined by Mckinsey, “vulnerability is the willingness to be touched by others’ perspectives, while also allowing yourself to be seen fully by others—even if you fear being judged.”
With DEI work, which touches on deeply personal experiences and challenges deeply held assumptions, modelling this kind of visible vulnerability creates an atmosphere where people become more comfortable thinking differently and behaving more authentically themselves. Crucially, though, as Omadeke notes, deciding when to display vulnerability “requires the self-awareness to ask: Will being honest in this moment serve me? Will it serve others?”
This is echoed by Mckinsey: “The best leaders recognise what is triggering them and then learn to respond in an open and positive way. This is where vulnerability comes into play: if something forces you to react negatively or defensively, and you’re able to realise it, you can change your behaviour by asking yourself, or discussing with others, why you’re reacting in such a way. Sometimes this requires taking a deep look at yourself.”
Guidance for leaders
Start with personal reflection
Examine your own biases, privileges, and areas for growth. Share insights from this reflection appropriately with your team.
Share learning experiences openly
When you encounter new perspectives or realise you've made incorrect assumptions, talk about it. This normalises learning and growth.
Invite feedback
Create structured opportunities for people to tell you what's not working. More importantly, act on what you hear.
Acknowledge mistakes and course-correct publicly
When initiatives miss the mark or approaches need adjustment, own it. Explain what you've learned and how you'll adjust.
Create safe spaces for difficult conversations
Establish regular forums where people can share experiences and concerns without fear of repercussion.
Cascading authenticity
As our landmark report — ‘Beyond the backlash: The leader’s guide to integrating DEI’ — explores, many businesses are retreating from diversity commitments precisely when authentic leadership is needed.
When leaders drop their guard and engage honestly with cultural challenges, the performative aspects of DEI fall away. Defensive posturing gives way to genuine dialogue, replacing perfect answers with brilliant questions and superficial compliance with real transformation.
This vulnerability creates an authenticity cascade; when senior executives acknowledge their own learning journeys, it empowers others throughout the organisation to have difficult conversations and raise concerns.
In a world demanding both decisive action and deeper human connection, learning to lead with both courage and openness is key.
