INTHEBLACK February 2023 - Magazine - Page 63
Championing authentic vulnerability can
deliver many other benefits, too. When leaders
normalise asking for help, taking ownership of
mistakes and sharing feedback, it forges deep
connections among teams – making people
more likely to listen to, cooperate with and
trust each other. “It also makes people more
relatable,” says Ralph. “It demonstrates their
humanity, in that they’re not perfect either.”
Vulnerability enables open and robust
discussions, in which people are not afraid to
voice ideas that go against the grain. Ralph
adds, “Being able to build stronger teams that
are honest with each other can really catapult
them into a whole other level of performance.”
DRIVER OF INNOVATION
American research professor Brené Brown
is arguably the world’s biggest advocate for
vulnerability. She has been singing its virtues for
decades, most famously in her 2010 TED Talk,
The Power of Vulnerability. While describing
vulnerability as “the birthplace of joy, belonging,
creativity, authenticity and love”, Brown also
sees it as essential to innovation.
The team at 3D body scanning and data
insights company Bodd understands Brown’s
message all too well. As pioneers of 3D body
scanning technology, Bodd has established a
culture that views vulnerability – and particularly
failure – as an essential component of growth.
“Innovation requires a certain level of creative
thinking and a really tenacious approach to
problems,” says Rob Fisher, CEO and cofounder. “But it also requires a large propensity
for calculated risk and an acceptance that there
will be failures along the way.”
Since launching Bodd in 2016, its founders
have strived to make their team comfortable
with failure. In the early days, this included
weekly “Clangers and Bangers” sessions,
during which employees were invited to share
their mistakes and wins. While they have since
refined the forum to focus on the company’s
major deliverables, Fisher says the sessions are
still an opportunity for staff from the top down
to publicise their challenges.
“This ensures that everyone has visibility over
what other people in the company are doing,
but also gives them a finger on the pulse of the
cadence and success – or failures and challenges
– that have been faced along the way.”
Vulnerability, however, is not exclusive to
challenges. For Fisher, it also means celebrating
wins – and other people – in a genuine and
humble way. Authentic leaders, he says, should
be open to giving praise, showing appreciation
and acknowledging that they are not always the
experts. He says that he and co-founder Dave
“Employees who feel motivated,
purposeful and supported at work are
more likely to bring positive outcomes
to their teams and work hard for those
around them.”
KAT WARBOYS, HUBSPOT
McLaughlin intentionally surround themselves
with people who are “smarter” than they are.
“It is our job to be the cheerleaders and get
really smart people in their domains to come in,
take ownership, perform like guns, and then be
proud of the work they’re doing,” he adds.
TEACHING TEAMS TO BE VULNERABLE
Customer relationship management company
HubSpot has featured high on the list of
Glassdoor’s best places to work in recent years.
This is largely due to its commitment to creating
a diverse and inclusive community where every
person can do their best work and show up as
their authentic selves.
Vulnerability is part of the operating system
at HubSpot, and the company offers training
opportunities and tools to help employees
develop it as a skill. Managers, for example, are
equipped with diversity, inclusion and belonging
discussion kits to help them foster authentic
conversations about tough topics. Likewise,
“failure forums” allow HubSpotters to share
stories about the mistakes they have made and
the lessons learned from them. The goal is to
build a psychologically safe work environment
where new ideas are both encouraged and
expected, explains Kat Warboys, marketing
director (APAC) at HubSpot.
“It’s been well documented that employees
who feel motivated, purposeful and supported
at work are more likely to bring positive
outcomes to their teams and work hard for
those around them,” Warboys says.
Warboys believes workers should be able
to choose where they want to sit on the
vulnerability spectrum. “It’s about creating
a safe space for sharing, connection and not
feeling like we have to be perfect.”
Ralph agrees, adding that leaders should
honour employees’ sharing styles and preferences,
making allowances for different cultural
backgrounds, histories, experiences, tenure and
a range of other factors. “We can only do that
by connecting with people and understanding
who they are as individuals,” he says, “rather than
taking a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach.”
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