Why Vulnerability is Crucial for Effective Leadership

Vulnerability and leadership have not always been viewed as compatible traits in a corporate environment. However, in recent years, that perspective has shifted, and vulnerability is now seen as a crucial characteristic of effective leadership. To quote Brene Brown, "Vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation, creativity and change."

Consistent with the company’s core value of openness, Procore Technologies recognizes the importance of vulnerability in leadership.  At Procore, employees are encouraged to share opinions and express ideas. This is seen daily through the lived experiences of our employees, but for me, it also includes the transparent vulnerability that our leadership displays across the organization.

In early March, our Women's Impact Network (WIN) Employee Resource Group hosted a panel with executive leadership to discuss their own experiences and lessons, not just as leaders but also as women in the workplace. Sara Borneleit, a senior director of sales development, moderated the panel and expertly set the tone of authenticity. During this event, I came to appreciate how deeply integrated the value of openness is in Procore’s culture. The level of vulnerability these women displayed was inspiring and aspirational, and as a woman in leadership myself, what they shared really resonated. I admired their courage to talk openly about topics such as imposter syndrome, allyship, belonging and work-life harmony.

Leading by Example At Procore Technologies

In my career, I have worked with many amazing women who support and raise up other women. One of those women is Rakhi Voria, our VP of global sales development; I’ve worked with her at Microsoft and now here at Procore. When she so candidly and openly shared the statement, “I think imposter syndrome is very real and very normal. I think I experience it at least once a day, every day, even today!” It was easy to see how and why she creates such a positive impact at every organization she has been at — her vulnerability at that moment made her more relatable.

This sense of openness continued throughout the panel when Procore’s VP of Customer Success, Shelley Koegler, discussed work-life balance and called herself ‘messy.’ That’s not something we typically hear from senior leaders. She shared, “I don’t feel like I’ve got it all buttoned up. Work-life balance is a work in progress for me and has been my entire career. And I don’t feel guilty about that. It’s a struggle. It’s not easy for any of us. I’m messy, and you’re allowed to be messy.”

For a senior leader to essentially give employees permission to embrace their imperfections and not apologize was a powerful moment! You could feel the collective sigh of relief from everyone in the room as those words sank in. We all felt seen and heard.

Prioritizing People First

The conversation proceeded to highlight the importance of physical, mental and spiritual health, as well as the power of boundaries — and committing to them. Stacy Gong, VP of communications, shared her boundary of blocking out time to have breakfast with her kids each morning. It made me think about how everyone here is so open with their calendars — no one shies away from putting in doctor’s appointments, picking up their kids, or even walking their dog. It’s amazing that boundaries are set and respected here —  if it’s in the calendar, people honor it. 

One of the last sentiments from the panel came from Snowflake Rosen, VP of sales for owners: Procore’s company culture values health, family, trust and autonomy. For that, we can be grateful. For that, I will add we can feel comfortable sharing our vulnerability.

When I think about inclusion and creating psychologically safe spaces at work, this is it. It’s people feeling like they can belong in the same room, that they can share who they are and what their boundaries are, and know that they will be supported. Leaders who recognize this can foster teams with deeper bonds and respect for each other and enable everyone to show up as their authentic selves and do their best work. Procore's culture of openness and vulnerability is a prime example of this. By embracing vulnerability, leaders can drive innovation, creativity and meaningful change in the workplace.

Emily D'Andrea
Senior Manager, Global Talent Branding and TA Marketing
Seattle, USA