Leading with Strength, Not Certainty

The session

We often grow up with a narrow idea of what leadership strength looks like: being decisive, resilient, confident, and visibly in control. Vulnerability, by contrast, is frequently seen as something that weakens authority or undermines credibility. This talk challenges that assumption. Rather than positioning vulnerability as the opposite of strong leadership, Andy shows how it enhances the very qualities we most admire in leaders. Through practical examples and clear reframing, participants explore how admitting mistakes, asking for support, and leading without all the answers can strengthen credibility, resilience, and trust. The result is a more sustainable, human, and effective model of leadership, one that enables people to grow, collaborate, and perform without the pressure of pretence.

The session explores three core leadership expectations — and how vulnerability strengthens each of them:

Being strong

• Why admitting mistakes and weaknesses builds credibility rather than diminishing it.

• How openness creates learning,…