Vulnerability in Leadership
Vulnerability takes courage. Leaders have courage.
Not all leaders show their vulnerability.
Those of us who have lived a little longer are acutely aware of our shortcomings and human frailty. Maybe as we get older we care less about trying to impress people. Together with a little wisdom, earned through the school of rough knocks, we coach and counsel and mentor anyone who seeks it, to try and help others not learn lessons the hard way.
However, as seasoned professionals, we’ve also developed mechanisms for maintaining composure and consistently delivering on the promise of our curated personal brand. Sometimes that ‘brand’ belies the truth of who we are (in real life), perhaps only known by those closest to us outside of the working world.
I discovered this last week when a colleague told me they thought I have it ‘all together’, and they felt inadequate comparing themselves with me and others like me.
That is so far from the truth. I have voices of negativity in my head from time to time, or have swings in mood to the point of depression, and sometimes (for no apparent reason) have listless times where I even despair of life. By the way, everyone has times of being ‘low’, but if that persists for a couple of weeks or more, or if you are not getting any enjoyment out of life, or are feeling hopeless and without energy — these may be symptoms of depression.
We are seeing society trying to let go of the stigma and judgement that can be present when someone is shown to be vulnerable or perhaps in a time of challenging mental health.
That said, we have so much more to do as leaders, to show those younger than us and early in their careers, that it is absolutely OK to be a high-performing person who also struggles with mental healthiness. It doesn’t need to limit your options or your career success. That trying to get ahead in your career does not mean being impervious to pressure or comparing your own life with others who have many more years of ‘resilience training’.
Recently, a number of high-performing individuals have shared openly about their own struggles. Toto Wolff, a much respected Formula1 team principal, explained “…some of the most successful people are very, very sensitive and very, very sensitive means very, very vulnerable.
…High profile people who seem to have everything but are struggling, I think we have an obligation to say we’re getting help and it’s ok to get help. I’ve been going to a psychiatrist since 2004. I think I’ve had more than 500 hours [of therapy]. I have suffered mentally and I still do.”
That is truly inspiring leadership.
If you are a leader, how do you think we can bust the myth in professional circles that high-performing people have it all together?
Finally, if you are struggling and reading this resonates, please know that you are not alone. There are many people to talk to and you may be surprised to find that others have experience with similar thoughts to you.
I first wrote and published this on LinkedIn in response to an interview with Toto Wolff that was written about on Sportskeeda.com (along with other sites): https://www.sportskeeda.com/f1/news-mercedes-boss-toto-wolff-stresses-importance-seeking-help-mental-health-problems
