I want to talk about a critical leadership skill that's often underestimated in fact it's many times seen as weak and not aign a leadership and when in fact it's the furthest from that and that's vulnerability being vulnerable with yourself yes I say yourself and your team members is an incredible way to connect with them to bond with them and to share something deeper and more meaningful it allows them it allows you to build trust within your team and puts you in a position to help develop your team members in a way you couldn't if you just had a high level relationship with them by being vulnerable with your team and open about the struggles you have being transparent with them about the things that are going on um that it's not perfectly easy for you as well um it builds trust it helps them realize they're not alone and it makes it easier for them to open up and share what their struggles are what's holding them back from being the best team member they could be the best person that they can be it allows you to help them more to lift them to raise them to lead them um to empower them to be the person and the leader that they can be so vulnerability is a critical skill that like I said is often underestimated and in fact typically seen as something you don't do you shouldn't be transparent with your team they're your team members they work for you they're employees right like all those things but they're not they are people too and the more open and transparent with them you are and more oh um trying to think of the word that starts with an A see I'm being vulnerable with you here instead of stopping and starting this again um authentic that's the word I was thinking of the more authentic and real you are with them the more authentic and real they'll be with you and the more authentic everybody is the more you're going to get done together the easier it's going to be to achieve your vision and your goals so vulnerability while it's uncomfortable and it is it's probably one of the most uncomfortable skills for any leader and any team member um it is the one that probably takes you the furthest so next time you're trying to decide should I share should I not share should I be open about something I'm concerned about or a struggle uh with my team members the answer is almost certainly yes be more vulnerable with your team be more connected and see what comes from it it would be some amazing things