Vulnerability in Leadership: The Courage Behind Great Performance

This weekend gave me a lot to think about.

On Friday night at the Tabernacle in Atlanta, Bridget Everett delivered a cabaret performance that was bold, outrageous, funny, and vocally stunning. But what made it unforgettable wasn’t just the talent.

It was the vulnerability she brought to the stage. The willingness to be completely open, raw, and unapologetically human in front of a packed theater. And the audience gave it right back. The room was electric.

Saturday night brought a different kind of performance.

At the Epicurean Atlanta, in celebration of their 25th anniversary, our best friends and their ten guests, including my husband and me, were guided by a sommelier and chef team through a wine tasting and dinner that was anything but predictable. Unexpected pairings. Bold flavors. Dishes and wines that took real creative chances.

There was vulnerability in that too. Creativity always carries risk. And those risks paid off. Course after course left each of us surprised and delighted.

Then Sunday night we watched the Oscars.

I found myself quietly rooting for Hamnet. Jessie Buckley delivered a deeply vulnerable performance in the film, and Chloé Zhao’s direction brought extraordinary emotional depth to the story.

Jessie Buckley won. And Zhao stood among the nominees as both the only female director and the only director of Asian descent recognized this year.

Three very different stages. A theater. A dining room. A film. But the same thread ran through all of the performances.

Human vulnerability.

Brené Brown defines vulnerability as emotional exposure, uncertainty, and risk. Not weakness, but the clearest measure of courage.

The courage to create. The courage to experiment. The courage to tell the truth.

And maybe that’s the real secret behind great performances, whether in art, in leadership, or in everyday life and work.

When we allow ourselves to be vulnerable by summoning up the courage that we each have inside of us, we make room for the highest levels of human creativity, connection, and yes, performance. 

A question I’m sitting with this morning: Where might my best performances be waiting on the other side of vulnerability? 

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kevin is passionate about helping people and organizations understand and foster belonging. Drawing on both personal experience and professional expertise, he helps leaders design cultures and experiences where individuals, teams, and communities can thrive and feel they truly belong.