Experts including Brené Brown have long espoused that the best leaders are not afraid to be vulnerable in the workplace. And tapping into personal weaknesses has become more valued as a leadership skill in recent years. Many leaders now see the benefit of opening up about their challenges and building stronger connections. This was one of the topics discussed at a fireside chat at the Booth Women Connect Conference earlier this year.
Katie Callow-Wright, former executive vice president of the University of Chicago, spoke with Swati Bharteey-Buck, ’95, cofounder and principal of LeaderStages, a Chicago-based executive coaching and leadership development firm. Callow-Wright shared her experiences on what it means to become an approachable leader by creating space for vulnerability. Bharteey-Buck, who is Callow-Wright’s former executive coach, moderated the discussion.
The longtime colleagues kicked off the session demonstrating the power of connecting through vulnerability by opening up to the audience about their own personal struggles in work and life, including divorce and health setbacks. Here are takeaways from the conversation: