What does it really mean to be vulnerable as a leader in the corporate world?
This is a hot topic in American business these days.
Today, Lindsay interviews global executive Scott Miller.
He shares three things you can do as a leader at work to set your company up for success.
Who is Scott Miller?
Scott Miller has been a CEO and Executive leader.
He learned the industry from the frontline to the boardroom.
His most recent accomplishment was leading the growth and acquisition of Essentia.
This company is a national bottled water brand of Nestle, the global leader in the beverage industry.
He also authored the book, “The Summit Mindset: Winning the Battle of You Versus You.”
Vulnerability in leadership
Scott shares that vulnerability in leadership is actually a strength.
We no longer are in the 1950s when leaders would bang on the tables and walls to get things done.
Leadership now is an inside-out job.
A leader can be bold enough to step forward and share where his or her weaknesses are as a leader and an individual.
It is now acceptable to have vulnerability and expose where, as a team or a company, improvements need to be made.
How to be vulnerable
Many different things can be shared when being vulnerable as a leader.
- Topline profit
- Culture
- Community
Are you able to communicate that your profit is sustainable?
For your culture, is it a plaque on the wall, or are you actually living and breathing your company values?
What are you doing for your community?
These are the three areas that you can start checking for weaknesses.
The ability to talk about these things with vulnerability will make your entire business stronger.
Being honest about these will help you identify problems faster and be able to take action right away.
Getting better together
Communication is vital and can be the most difficult thing in business.
It is vital to have an open space in the workplace where issues can be addressed.
Leaders and team members must all be able to speak up about these types of things.
Today Scott shares 3 core tips for anyone to be able to be vulnerable as a leader.
#1: Share your north star
You can start by sharing what your goal is in terms of profit.
Each organization should be open about where they are right now and what needs to be done to reach goals.
When an organization understands where they are all going together, it’s easy to align everyone and pursue goals together.
In order to chase greatness, everyone has to contribute to that journey.
Be an open book and share as much as you can.
#2: Live your culture
When you are living your culture, understand that it’s not going to be perfect.
It evolves and it’s progressive.
It’s not stagnant and it adjusts over time.
You should take the time to assess and let everyone contribute to the culture.
As a leader, it is valuable to admit to mistakes.
Scott shares that in a town hall meeting, he forgot to mention someone’s promotion and he apologized for this oversight and corrected it.
It’s never about perfection but more about progress.
As a leader admitting to mistakes gives your team momentum to share value together which creates a healthy culture.
#3: Give back to your community
In a fast-paced business, it can get extremely busy.
You have to take the time to contribute to the community.
You have to be intentional in giving back to your community.
This will make you a good steward of your business as well.
Takeaway
Today’s tips on being a vulnerable leader are extremely eye-opening.
It’s vital that we understand how the business world has changed.
The way leaders can find success is very different today from past decades.
There is a lot more honesty and openness in the way companies run their businesses.
Everyone can have a valuable contribution and an opportunity to climb the corporate ladder.
Scott’s bio:
Scott Miller has been a CEO and executive leader of several global beverage companies.
He began his career on the warehouse floor at Pepsi and learned the industry from the front line to the boardroom.
His most recent accomplishment was leading the growth and acquisition of Essentia, a national bottled water brand, to global food and beverage leader Nestlé.
You can check out Scott Miller’s book “The Summit Mindset: Winning the Battle of You Versus You.”
It’s not just for CEOs, as any individual will find it very valuable.
What can you say about being a vulnerable leader?
Share in the comments below your thoughts on this.
