Leading with Vulnerability: Unlock Your Greatest Superpower to Transform Yourself, Your Team, and Your Organization - Hardcover

by Jacob Morgan (Author)

How do some of the world's top leaders unlock the potential of others, create trust, and lead through change?

Jacob started out with one basic question: Is vulnerability the same for leaders as it is for everyone else? It turns out that it's not. On August 20, 1991, Hollis Harris, the CEO of struggling Continental Airlines told his 42,000 employees to pray for the future of the company. The next day he was fired. What Hollis did was vulnerable, but it was not leadership.

While vulnerability cripples some leaders, others tap into it and use it as a superpower. Vulnerability alone makes leaders seem incompetent. Competence on its own makes it hard for leaders to connect with their people. The key is to develop both competence and vulnerability, what Jacob calls "The Vulnerable Leader Equation."

Based on over 100 CEO interviews and a survey of nearly 14,000 employees, renowned leadership thought leader and futurist Jacob Morgan shares candid stories and original research that shows how leaders can tap into vulnerability to transform themselves, their teams, and their organizations.

This book will show you why it's so crucial to lead with vulnerability and how to do it well. You will learn:

• The difference between being vulnerable and leading with vulnerability
• The 5 vulnerable leader superheroes
• What makes leaders feel most vulnerable at work and why
• The ROI of leading with vulnerability
• The 8 attributes of vulnerable leaders
• What happens when vulnerability is used against you
• How to climb the "vulnerability mountain"
• What keeps leaders from being vulnerable at work and how to overcome it

Leading With Vulnerability is not just a book to share with your leaders and your co-workers. It's an invitation to a paradigm-shifting adventure. Nothing like this has been written before and, after reading it, you'll never look at leadership the same way again.

Front Jacket

How do some of the world's top leaders unlock the potential of others, create trust, and lead through change?

Bestselling author, renowned keynote speaker, and futurist Jacob Morgan started out with one basic question: Is vulnerability the same for leaders as it is for everyone else? It turns out that it's not. On August 20, 1991, Hollis Harris, the CEO of struggling Continental Airlines told his 42,000 employees to pray for the future of the company. The next day he was fired. What Hollis did was vulnerable, but it was not leadership. How can leaders navigate their responsibilities and expectations while also acknowledging that they are imperfect human beings like everyone else?

While vulnerability cripples some leaders, others tap into vulnerability and use it as a superpower. Vulnerability alone makes leaders seem incompetent. Competence on its own makes it hard for leaders to connect with their people. The key is to develop both competence and vulnerability, what Jacob calls "The Vulnerable Leader Equation." But how do you do it?

In a groundbreaking exploration drawing from interviews with over 100 CEOs of renowned companies such as GE, American Airlines, Dow Chemical, KFC, Hyatt, The Home Depot, and SAP, combined with a comprehensive survey of 14,000 employees, Jacob Morgan unveils a compelling guide for leadership transformation. Through candid stories and original research, Morgan reveals how to lead with vulnerability so you can transform yourself, your team, and your organization.

This book will show you why it's so crucial to lead with vulnerability and how to do it well.

You will learn:

• The difference between being vulnerable and leading with vulnerability
• The 5 vulnerable leader superheroes and which one you are
• What makes leaders feel most vulnerable at work and why
• The ROI of leading with vulnerability
• The 8 attributes of vulnerable leaders
• What happens when vulnerability is used against you
• How to climb the "vulnerability mountain"
• What keeps leaders from being vulnerable at work and how to overcome it

Leading With Vulnerability is not just a book to share with your leaders and your co-workers. It's an invitation to a paradigm-shifting adventure. Nothing like this has been written before and, after reading it, you'll never look at leadership the same way again.

Back Jacket

Praise for LEADING with VULNERABILITY

"This is a well-researched, compelling book about something we spend far too little time thinking about: being human. It works."
--Seth Godin, author of The Song of Significance

"Jacob takes a wonderfully thorough look at one of the most important--and lacking--qualities in leaders. And he does so with a raw and honest approach that makes his point all the more powerful!"
-- Patrick Lencioni, bestselling author of The Five Dysfunctions of a Team and The Six Types of Working Genius

"Vulnerability, in today's complex, uncertain world, is simply a fact. Good leaders don't shy away from, but instead acknowledge and embrace this reality. Backed by a study of 100 CEOs and a survey of 14,000 employees, Jacob has put together an invaluable resource to help leaders navigate vulnerability to achieve more, build trust, and drive performance."
-- Amy C. Edmondson, professor, Harvard Business School; author of Right Kind of Wrong: The Science of Failing Well and The Fearless Organization

"Leading With Vulnerability meticulously lays out how to do the very thing that can transform companies, but which leaders are too often afraid to do."
--Robert Irvine, Celebrity Chef, entrepreneur, and author of Overcoming Impossible

"I applaud Jacob for pushing us all to understand that there isn't a one-size-fits-all approach to vulnerability. The insights and experiences from these leaders have the potential to strike a nerve no matter your title or tenure."
--Michael Miebach, CEO, Mastercard

"This book is a serious game-changer, because we've been thinking about leadership all wrong. Whether you're a CEO of a Fortune 500 or an entrepreneur with a team of two, Leading with Vulnerability is packed with strategies and practical tools to help you become a leader who knows how to make an impact."
--Mel Robbins, bestselling author, entrepreneur, and host of The Mel Robbins Podcast

"Empowering today's leaders--and today's world--to embrace vulnerability will help build more effective, inclusive teams and more resilient communities. Through his in-depth research, Jacob has unlocked a unique and much-needed perspective. Incredible things are possible when leaders combine intellectual competency with vulnerability."
--Kathy Warden, Chair, President and CEO, Northrop Grumman

"This book is a game-changer for current and aspiring leaders. Jacob provides readers with a treasure trove of insights on how to connect with team members, unlock potential, and drive business performance. I wish I had this book when I was entering the business world!"
--Frank Blake, former chairman and CEO, The Home Depot

Author Biography

JACOB MORGAN is the international bestselling author of 5 books, keynote speaker, and professionally trained futurist. His passion and mission is to create great leaders, engaged employees, and future-ready organizations. Jacob is also the host of "Great Leadership With Jacob Morgan," one of the world's most popular leadership podcasts. His work has been endorsed by the CEOs of: Unilever, Cisco, Mastercard, Nestlé, Best Buy, SAP, KPMG, T-Mobile, Audi, Kaiser Permanente, and many others. He lives in Los Angeles, California with his amazing wife Blake, their two kids, and their two dogs. You can learn more about Jacob, contact him, and get access to his content by visiting TheFutureOrganization.com.