To Err is Human, To Forgive Divine — The Same Applies to Leadership

The 18th century English poet, Alexander Pope, popularised the saying, ‘To err is human — to forgive divine’ in his poem entitled ‘An Essay on Criticism’. The saying is as relevant today as it was three hundred years ago, perhaps even more so.

In my article, The Empathetic Leader first published on the 24 March 2021, I wrote about the need for leaders to not only be responsible, decisive, inspirational and visionary, but to be empathetic and compassionate as well. This week’s article discusses the need for authenticity in leaders, for leaders to feel comfortable expressing and demonstrating their vulnerability, for leaders to be allowed to make legitimate, honest mistakes, and to be forgiven for these.

Unfortunately, in today’s cynical, overly critical, and intolerant times, vulnerability is often mistaken for weakness. We often talk about those we lead being ‘allowed’ to make mistakes in order for them to learn and grow. Why are we so reticent to do the same for leaders?

Erik van de Loo, an affiliate professor of Organisational Behaviour at the INSEAD business school, believes that leaders expressing their vulnerability is a sign of character and courage. “The courage to act and express yourself in line with your deepest thoughts and feelings makes for an authentic leader,” he says.

Being authentic also makes a leader more predictable. “Because now I understand this is how you feel, this is how you think and how you act in line with your deepest convictions, considerations and feelings, and that creates a deeper level of trust,” van de Loo says.

At its core, leadership is about trust

Authentic leaders create trustworthy relationships with those they are privileged to lead. Knowing what to expect of a leader helps establish trust, helps form and maintain trustworthy relationships, and helps to create a trustworthy culture within the organisation.

Additionally, by expressing vulnerability themselves, leaders allow those on their teams to be vulnerable and comfortable, resulting in a harmonious workplace.

The role of vulnerability in leadership

Irrespective of how vulnerability in leadership is perceived, good leaders are those “with the capacity to open up and show something of themselves that might make them look vulnerable in the eyes of others around them” says van de Loo.

Embracing vulnerability indicates a leader is ready to open up to others - be it individuals or a group of people. Doing so, however, comes with inherent risks. “Predicting others’ responses to vulnerability at the start is difficult, and there is a chance that when a leader opens up, he or she may be seen by some as being weak’, says van de Loo.

Vulnerability, and by extension authenticity, is, however, not a sign of weakness, rather it is a sign of strength. A leader’s ability to demonstrate authenticity shows that he/she is willing to pursue uncharted territory, move out of his/her comfort zone, take risks and illustrates that they are not afraid of making mistakes and being vulnerable in the process.

“The unique thing about vulnerability is when you start with yourself, your actions and your words actually invite others to be vulnerable as well” says Sharon Ow, director for global learning and development at Essilor.

An openness to being authentic and vulnerable requires being able to break the barrier of fear of judgement and ridicule. Above all else, it requires a paradigm shift in thinking.

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