INT 089: Vulnerability As A Leader

Leadership is more than meeting deadlines; it’s encouraging yourself and your team to be the best version of yourselves. In today’s episode of IntHerrupt, Linda is joined by Bethany Foyt, ​​Marketing Director at JourneyTEAM, to discuss how expressing vulnerability has made her a better leader. 

Leaders struggle to show vulnerability:

• They feel like they need to know all the answers, and being vulnerable shows signs of professional weakness. 
• Bethany’s background in inbound marketing, a tactic notorious for long-term results and little short-term growth, made it challenging to take the initial foray into leadership. However, she learned how to adjust her goal-setting.
• Self-doubt and anxiety get louder if you let them, and Bethany learned the tools to combat that and engage in self-love. 

Bethany’s likes and dislikes of leadership:

• She loves the strategy element, working through difficult situations to make relationships stronger, especially between coworkers.
• However, she struggled with delegating and handing things off when she first started, wanting people to do things her way. She’s since learned to open her mind and back off. 

Is vulnerability a gift or a curse?

• It was a curse for the first 10-12 years of her career; she needed more experience and knowledge.
• Now, she’s in a place she never thought she would be. But that approach has been stressful.
• It’s a gift because you’re open to new things, methods, and ways of overcoming problems. As a result, you’ve opened more doors to trust.
• To Bethany, vulnerability is being genuine and honest in your situation, and being open to saying you don’t have the answer.

Three tips for showing vulnerability as a leader:

• Embrace vulnerability instead of hiding it. Understand what needs to happen to move forward, whether determining a solution or overcoming a challenge.
• Be curious about vulnerability. Work with the people around you and be open about challenges and obstacles impacting your work to see if they can help.
• Break down hierarchies. When people feel comfortable discussing their emotions at work, they’re less likely to impact performance.

For more information and content from Bethany, connect with her on LinkedIn. Watch Brené Brown’s TED Talk discussed in the episode on the power of vulnerability. Do you have stories to tell? Connect with Linda to share them. This podcast is produced by TSE Studios. Check out other podcasts by TSE Studios, including this episode’s sponsor, The Sales Evangelist, helping new and struggling sellers close more deals and achieve their sales goals. Subscribe to the IntHERrupt Podcast so you won’t miss a single show. Find us on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Spotify, and Stitcher. Audio created by Ryan Rasmussen Productions.