How comfortable are you being vulnerable with your team members?

Our reader poll today asks: How comfortable are you being vulnerable with your team members?

– Very — I have no problem being seen as vulnerable: 43%
– Somewhat — I’ll occasionally make myself vulnerable in small ways: 40%
– Not very — It’s rare that I make myself vulnerable: 13%
– Not at all — I play everything close to the vest and expose nothing: 4%

Vulnerability builds trust. Opening up to your team members and sharing who you really are helps them understand why and how you make decisions as well as what you value. Armed with that knowledge, they can better predict your behaviors which is a foundation of trust. If you make yourself vulnerable first, they’re also more likely to share their thoughts, hopes, and fears which enables you to lead and serve them better. When thinking about making yourself vulnerable, focus on simplicity and share who you really are. The easier it is to understand you, the easier it is to trust you.

Do you agree with these poll results? Let us know in the comments below!

– Mike Figliuolo at thoughtLEADERS, LLC

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These results were originally a SmartPulse poll in SmartBrief on Leadership which tracks feedback from more than 210,000 business leaders. Get smarter on leadership and sign up for the SmartBrief on Leadership e-newsletter.