Afraid to be vulnerable? Women, leadership, and the constructive role of vulnerability for organizations

Abstract

This article draws attention to the value, for leaders and organizations, of recognizing and working with vulnerability. In the opening, we mobilize the “writing differently” approach. Specifically, we present a poem co-written by the authors to sensitize ourselves and readers to the importance of acknowledging and embracing vulnerability, which we view as an existential condition and an inherent aspect of the leadership experience. We then discuss insights from our qualitative study, based on photo-elicitation interviews with thirty-five senior women leaders in Poland, highlighting the role of vulnerability in their experiences and practices. Our research suggests that, in response to organizational norms that often discourage the expression of emotions and the display of vulnerability, especially by leaders, women leaders consciously manage and even suppress their sense of vulnerability. We argue that embracing vulnerability can bring much more positive outcomes for individuals and organizations. The article concludes with practice-oriented implications for leaders, organizations, and researchers, promoting a more sustainable and integrated approach to vulnerability in professional life.