Nelson Coulter

Two of the hallmarks of exemplary leadership are Vulnerability and Transparency.

Being Vulnerable as leaders does not make us “wobbly” (to channel Margaret Thatcher). On the contrary, it positions us to more authentically engage with both our internal and external stakeholders.

Vulnerable Leaders look/feel/sound like this:

They openly share what they DON’T know, expressing a deep desire to learn more (from whomever and wherever that learning can emerge).
They know they can’t do it all, and thus, freely ask for help from others.
They LEARN constantly, which signals to others that continual learning is both OK and an expectation.
They model that leadership compels one to be a servant, not a master.
They emanate the understanding that we are all intertwined and interdependent on one another.
When I was pretending to be an athletic coach (decades ago), I noticed that the preponderance of the individual accolades that flowed once a season was over went to those athletes on successful TEAMS.

We, as individuals, are most successful when we are contributing team members. Leaders are only one component of the TEAM. Being a Vulnerable Leader accelerates TEAM performance.

*If you’d like to read more of nc’s blatherings, to to nc’s Recursive Learning.

Author: Nelson Coulter

Who we choose to BE is far more important than what we choose to do, and orders of magnitude more important than what we say.

How do we go about choosing who we want to BE?

An impactful guiding question: How will my existence on the planet make it a better place for ALL people?

Once that question has been carefully examined, we can begin scheduling our days/weeks/months/lives. Focusing our time, effort, and resources on the truly important things is the ONLY thing that moves us closer to who we want to BE.

And tomorrow……we ask that question of ourselves again.

Get better. Everyday. On purpose.

*If you’d like to read more of nc’s blatherings, go to nc’s Recursive Learning.