03/02/2023

Leaders: Don’t Be Afraid to Admit Your Flaws

People appreciate weakness and humanity

"Never show your weakness." It's a truism most of us have heard and many of us have internalized—especially if we serve in any kind of leadership position. After all, who would want an openly flawed leader?

Lots of people, it turns out. New research from the Kellogg School finds that leaders who confess faults are seen as more authentic but no less competent than those who don’t, and that employees prefer to work with leaders who admit their foibles.

In some ways, it's an intuitive idea, explained Maryam Kouchaki, a professor of management and organizations at the Kellogg School and a coauthor of the study along with Li Jiang of George Washington University, Leslie John of Harvard University and Reihane Boghrati of Arizona State University. "When we make ourselves vulnerable and when we share some of our failures and challenges, we are seen as more authentic," she said—and that is a highly desirable quality in leaders.

Please select this link to read the complete article from KelloggInsight.