Build trust through vulnerability

You want to know what kills trust faster than anything? A leader who pretends to have all the answers. It's so annoying. Teams don't need a hero, they need a human. They need someone who can say, "I don't know the answer, but let's figure it out." Because when you admit you don't know something, you don't lose credibility, you gain it. People feel more at ease when leaders are authentic and sometimes even vulnerable. They see you as a true leader who acts with honesty and transparency, not someone who's acting. And as a result, they stop covering up their own mistakes and they'll start coming to you with challenges that they need solved and they need your input on. And suddenly your team is solving problems instead of hiding them. And that's important. This week, tell your team, "I don't know" or "I'm not sure" about something you'd normally fake confidence in. And then ask them, "What do you think we should do?" Watch what happens when you open the door to real, real collaboration. Because strong leaders say, "I don't know," and they mean it. And it shows your teams that you are open to ideas in solving things truly together.