03/08/2018

Why Leaders Should Beware Sharing Personal Weaknesses

Leaders' workplace transparency can sometimes be viewed negatively

Being honest and transparent is generally seen as a positive thing in the workplace, not least because doing so enables weaknesses to be identified, and thus addressed, in a safe environment. New research from Georgia Institute of Technology suggests that, whilst such candor can be beneficial in personal relationships, it’s not always beneficial in the workplace.

The researchers wanted to examine how personal disclosures can impact not only the relationships between colleagues, but also their subsequent effectiveness and productivity levels. What’s more, such disclosures can be especially harmful for higher status individuals.

“We may think that sharing personal information is always a good thing, but what we found is that when higher status individuals, which could in real situations include star employees, share personal information that highlights a potential shortcoming, it can affect the way they are perceived by coworkers," the authors explain. "This is important because it could undermine their ability to be an effective manager.”

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