Episode 7 - Why does vulnerability matter?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYHRxonPWB8

In this episode, we explore a question that sits at the heart of leadership, trust, and culture: why does vulnerability matter at work? It’s a word that’s often talked about, but rarely lived - and sometimes actively discouraged.

We share examples from our own working lives where vulnerability felt risky. Sammy reflects on being pregnant in an organisation where she felt she needed to appear confident and certain at all times - to the point of minimising and even ignoring her pregnancy at work, even when it was directly referenced. Juliet shares a contrasting experience, where a brilliant boss created enough safety that she didn’t feel the need to wear a mask at all. Those experiences shaped not just how we showed up, but what we were able to contribute.

We reflect on how much potential is lost when people don’t feel safe to be vulnerable - ideas that go unspoken, growth that never happens, and opportunities for deeper relationships within teams that are missed. We also explore how organisations designed around individual performance and confidence can unintentionally diminish vulnerability, driving people further apart rather than bringing them closer together.

This is the first of two episodes on vulnerability. Here, we focus on why it matters. In the next episode, we’ll turn our attention to the practical question: so how might we begin to practise vulnerability at work?

If you’re a leader thinking about trust, performance, and the kind of culture you’re creating, this conversation is a powerful place to start.