Leaders who confess faults are seen as more authentic but no less competent than those who don’t, and employees prefer to work with them.
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“Never show your weakness.” It’s a truism most of us have heard and many of us have internalized—especially if we serve in any kind of leadership position. After all, who would want an openly flawed leader?
Lots of people, it turns out. New research from the Kellogg School finds that leaders who confess faults are seen as more authentic but no less competent than those who don’t, and that employees prefer to work with leaders who admit their foibles.
[This article has been republished, with permission, from Kellogg Insight, the faculty research & ideas magazine of Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University]