How to Create an Authentic Team Culture - and why it matters.

Life can be unpredictably messy and challenging, at work and in home life, and this can be particularly obvious when you are the leader or manager of a team of people.

Have you ever had a personal situation arise at work, or have trouble managing your own emotions, or those of a team member, because of something going on personally?

At times, we all face moments of in our lives that test our courage, make us vulnerable, and shape who we are. In these moments, it can be difficult to separate our personal life from our workplace, as stressful events can seep into our lives in many ways.

For me, these moments include organising time off to deal with a break-up, making a surprise decision to move to a new city, starting my own business, and supporting my husband through open-heart surgery. All of these life-defining moments took over my life, and changed the way I worked, either temporarily, or permanently.

Vulnerable moments are the stuff of life and work, and they can also be the foundation of growth.

Being vulnerable means being honest, authentic, and true to your feelings, even if they are messy and scary. But it also means not letting those feelings strangle your decisions and actions. Vulnerability is an essential piece of emotional intelligence; someone who has good self awareness and self management is able to identify vulnerable feelings and navigate situations so they can be vulnerable and authentic, without impacting on their or others’ performance.

As Jerry Colonna, Founder of Reboot says, it's a kind of growing up, and you get to do it at any age. He works with the leaders of the future who are aware of the empathic skills needed to lead a company into the digital age.  Colonna argues that growth is found through self inquiry and self awareness. These skills create leaders who are willing to be vulnerable and honest, and this spreads through the workplace.

As we have seen in an accelerated way over the last few years, the workplace is changing. Many companies are recognizing that the most effective and productive work is being done by people who feel safe and supported to be authentic, take risks, and trust their colleagues.


Dr. Brené Brown has pioneered the way we understand workplace culture today and has begun putting together a map for the way we can lead into the future. On the whole, it seems we are moving towards a new era of communication, collaboration, and growth in the workplace. A new frontier in which emotions, honesty, and integrity are at the forefront of conversation and engagement.

We need to be brave enough to dance with vulnerability and live in a way that is aligned with our values. After all, it is in our working lives that we often don the most masks.

According to Brené Brown, vulnerability looks like:

• Leaning in to the tough conversations.

• Being aware of and not fighting against the uncomfortable feelings and thoughts when they arise – noticing the story in your head and understanding it may not be the reality of the situation.

• Taking action with thoughtfulness, not just jumping in and reacting.

• Not getting stuck in past setbacks. For example, noticing the story showing up around how things played out in the past and being aware that it may not play out in the same way now. People change, circumstances change, situations change, so being vulnerable means being open enough to take the situation as it is in the present moment.

• Being clear in setting boundaries and expectations. In doing so, you are setting others up to succeed.

• Being inclusive and open to all people.

As Brown says, being vulnerable is not always an easy option, but it is the most rewarding. “Vulnerability sounds like truth and feels like courage. Truth and courage aren’t always comfortable, but they’re never weakness.”, Brené Brown.

In 2012, Google conducted a research study into team effectiveness called ‘Project Aristotle’, with 180 Google teams around the world. Their research identified 5 consistent core values that shaped the success of a team, with the strongest, psychological safety, sitting at the top of the list:

·       Psychological safety

·       Dependability

·       Structure and clarity

·       Meaning

·       Impact

Psychological safety is a sense of trust and openness that exists within a team, allowing its members to take risks, admit faults and failings, and share new ideas. It cannot be bought or traded for team-building days (though team-building activities can certainly be a good way to begin the process). This sense of safety needs to be embraced by all people on the team to be fully effective, and especially by management personnel.

How can you open up the conversation to include compassion, empathy, & emotional awareness in your teams?

Here are some suggestions:

1. Lead by example: Leaders who are willing to be vulnerable themselves can set the tone for the team. Share personal stories and struggles, not just to one or two people, but openly in large meetings. If you are asking others to be candid about how their feelings are affecting their work, take the first step in sharing your own experience.

2. Encourage and support mistakes: Instead of punishing mistakes, view them as opportunities for growth and learning. Encourage team members to take risks and try new things, even setting aside a portion of the week where staff can work creatively and meet to share ideas that they brainstorm during this time, with no new idea left off the table. Novel ideas can shape the way the business moves forward.

3. Encourage open communication: Create an environment where team members feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and feelings without fear of judgment or retaliation. Regular check-ins and one-on-one meetings can help facilitate this. Avoid hierarchy. If you are in the C-Suite, have regular meetings with staff from all areas and levels with an ‘open-door’ environment.

4. Build trust: Trust is essential for fostering authenticity and vulnerability. Leaders can build trust by following through on commitments, being transparent about decision-making processes, speaking directly with staff as regularly as possible, and providing support when team members need it.

5. Encourage a sense of belonging: Provide opportunities for team members to support each other and work together towards shared goals. Support team-building activities and social events to help team members get to know each other better outside of work topics. Engage training in soft skills such as vulnerability, trust-building and team dynamics to increase the conversation on this topic and find any dark spots that you can’t see from your position.


Vulnerability can be the foundation of growth and success both personally and professionally. By embracing vulnerability and creating a safe and open environment in the workplace, we can build more effective teams and lead our companies into a brighter future.




🖐 I help people & organisations become happier & healthier so they can flourish in work and life. I create bespoke wellbeing workshops, as well as provide consultation, coaching, and advice to leaders and their teams. Sunrise Well’s popular workshop, ‘Mindfulness for Emotional Intelligence at Work’ will walk your team through the groundwork in emotional intelligence and mindfulness and how to deepen your connection with your feelings and behaviours, in a fun and professional manner.

To see how Sunrise Well can improve the wellbeing of your teams, book a call here.