How to Use Vulnerability to Improve Decision Making

A negotiation secret? Show your human side. How my vulnerabilities helped seal more deals. Negotiation is always stressful, no matter how experienced you are, especially when you carry personal baggage like financial stress, family issues, or health concerns. Ever been there? I certainly have, and it was a game-changer when I learned to embrace my vulnerabilities. Contrary to popular belief, it turns out that showing your human side—your vulnerabilities—can actually work in your favor. In several experiments, negotiators who disclosed personal struggles achieved better integrative deals. They weren't seen as weak; they were seen as relatable and genuine. How to do it (correctly): 1. Disclose Difficulties ↳  "I'm dealing with some family medical bills right now, which makes this deal really important to me." ↳  Revealing your struggles can trigger empathy, leading to better deals. 2. Show Genuine Emotion ↳  Share your struggles authentically. It can create a deeper connection and elicit empathy. ↳  Emotional appeals were more effective than rational appeals. 3. Balance with Rational Appeals ↳  Combine your emotional appeal with logical arguments. "This deal would help both of us reach our targets." ↳  Sharing personal challenges can be more persuasive than justifying your position with logic or fairness. 4. Power Dynamics Matter ↳  If you’re in a powerful position, tread carefully. Emotional appeals might be seen as manipulative if you're perceived as powerful. Vulnerability isn't a weakness. It's a strength. Use it wisely. 𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆: 1. Be Genuine ↳  Don’t exaggerate or fake vulnerabilities. Authenticity builds trust. 2. Mix it Up ↳  Combine emotional appeals with rational and fairness appeals for a well-rounded approach. 3. Know Your Audience ↳  Assess the power dynamics before deciding on your strategy. This approach makes you more relatable, builds trust, and can lead to more favorable outcomes. It’s not just about the deal; it’s about the connection. Don't underestimate the power of being human in negotiations. Feeling stuck in negotiations?  How could this approach be useful to you? #NegotiationByDesign #EmotionalIntelligence #VulnerabilityPower #NegotiationTips

When I first became a leader, I believed I had to have all the answers. I thought showing vulnerability would undermine my authority. I've made plenty of mistakes as a leader, but I remember one in particular during a critical project, where I made a significant mistake that set our team back. Instead of covering it up or deflecting blame, I chose to be honest, admitted my error, and my plan to correct it. And guess what? The team rallied around me, offering support and even better solutions than I had imagined. We ended up with a better outcome than we would have originally and cultivated more trust and resilience in the team along the way. 🌟 Leadership isn't about being invincible or having all the answers; it's about being human. 🌟 Embracing vulnerability as a leader can be daunting, but it’s a game-changer. Here’s why: 🌟 Trust: When leaders are transparent about their own challenges and uncertainties, it creates a culture of trust. Teams feel safer to express their own ideas and concerns without fear of judgment. 🌟 Innovation: Vulnerability opens the door to new perspectives. When team members see their leaders willing to take risks and admit mistakes, it fosters an environment where creativity and innovation can flourish. 🌟 Resilience: Leaders who demonstrate vulnerability show that setbacks are part of the journey. This builds a resilient team that can adapt and thrive in the face of challenges. 🔹 To my fellow leaders: Showing up with authentic vulnerability is not a weakness—it’s a strength. It’s a call to build deeper connections, foster a more innovative mindset, and create a culture of resilience. Your team doesn’t need a perfect leader; they need a genuine one. Let’s lead with heart and humanity. 💙 Share your experiences and join the conversation on how vulnerability has impacted your leadership journey! #leadership #vulnerability #trust #innovation #resilience #authenticity #genuine #teambuilding #humanity #humancentricleadership #thrivingleadership #thrivenotsurvive #thrivetogether #thrivemindcollaborative

Your capacity to feel the full spectrum of emotions is the gift that has helped you lead others in only the way you can. If I'm speaking to you- maybe you’ve been told to “control” your emotions better, so that they don’t become a distraction from your ability to make clear-headed decisions and manage your responsibilities effectively. Unfortunately, the reality is that many talented professionals, like you- have been made to believe that their vulnerability was a threat to their success and credibility. Because of this- perhaps you wonder whether you’re emotionally equipped to handle the responsibilities that leadership comes with. But you’re wrong. It isn't a liability or a weakness in your leadership skillset. It doesn't pose a threat to your capacity to be objective in the decisions you’re tasked with. It doesn’t make you less worthy of leadership than the person next to you. Far from it. In fact- I would argue that your ability to feel things deeply is the superpower that shows your direct reports and your colleagues- the depths of your humanity. It shows the depths of your compassion and the likelihood that you’ll be able to empathize with those around you going through unimaginable grief. It showcases your ability to gracefully navigate the darkness, ugliness, and profound heartache that’s an inevitable part of being human. Your emotional radar helps you sense the undercurrents and unspoken dynamics, that sabotage the outcomes you’re hoping for, and working towards. So contrary to the beliefs of those around you- your vulnerability is what makes you approachable. The key though- is for you to understand how to use and channel this gift you have- effectively. This means that instead of stuffing your emotions- you learn how to embrace them. This means instead of relying only on logic-  you learn how to harness your emotional conviction. The journey you’ll need to go on to do this- will be rooted in learning to let your emotions instruct, and not restrict. And it’ll require your commitment to developing your emotional intelligence skills - & your ability to understand, express & regulate your emotions in service of thinking clearly, feeling deeply, and leading courageously. When talented leaders like you, prioritize developing this skill- you’ll be better equipped to foster psychological safety in any space you’re in. Why? Because psychological safety can only grow in a work environment where they sense that you see and value them at a core human level - as full people, not just production units in the corporate machine. So allow your emotions to be your compass- because they are your superpower. Your full humanity expressed through your leadership- is the light we all need.