If you Google "teamwork" you will find vulnerability
The New York Times recently published some research conducted by Google on their search for what makes teams work.
From studying hundreds of teams, team members and research papers they found the number one influence on effective team functioning is psychological safety. That is, teams perform at their best when team members do not feel that they need to protect themselves from each other. That they are free to say whatever it is they think or feel without fear of rejection or reprisal.
In other words, they can be open and vulnerable with each other.
This would be unsurprising to the senior teams that I have coached. Many of which have worked hard to increase their cohesion, trust and ultimately performance by learning to be more vulnerable with each other.
Often we start this work by telling stories about who we really are - where we come from, what has shaped us, and what we stand for.
I continue to be surprised by the courageous souls who tell incredibly moving stories of survival, courage, redemption and regret. Those very human traits that we hear little of in the workplace, especially the closer we get to the boardroom.
There is something disarming and empowering about this experience of vulnerability when dealing with executives who have spent much of their lives erecting a façade that perfectly proves their competence and their success. To go from proving that they have all their shit together to showing that they sometimes don't is revealing, encouraging and connecting – because it shows them to be perfectly human.
It’s time we stopped feeling compelled to prove we have all the answers to work and life. Otherwise we will stop asking and listening. Instead we will judge harshly and lose compassion and empathy. The very traits that bind teams and unleash their potential are curiosity, careful listening, acceptance of diversity and compassion.
To all those who have taken this step towards vulnerability, I applaud you. Vulnerability requires genuine strength, not a carefully concocted façade. If you want to be part of a successful team, it's an important place to start.