Permission To Be Vulnerable Is An Investment In Success

The recent decision by Naomi Osaka, a four-time Grand Slam singles champion, to drop out of the French Opens reveals a critical tension in what society expects of its highest-performing individuals, and what those individuals, as human beings, are “permitted” to reveal. Osaka is the highest paid female athlete in the world and has been unequivocally successful in the past two years. There should be no question about her ability to understand what conditions help her perform on the court, not to mention maintaining her stature as an outspoken advocate for social justice as an Asian and Black American woman. She described press conferences as a significant source of stress and anxiety, explaining that “in Paris I was already feeling vulnerable and anxious, so I thought it was better to exercise self-care and skip the press conferences.” And yet, after taking a stand for her own mental and emotional health – with the objective of being at her best during the French Open by not participating in press conferences – she has faced backlash and fines. The reaction from tournament officials – to threaten her with expulsion – demonstrates a significant barrier that prevents athletes, public figures and any high-performing professional from revealing the truth about their own mental health.

The Fallacy of Separating Performance from Mental Wellbeing

Any competitive athlete understands that success in sports depends on a strong mentality and ability to focus. By being forced to speak with press, Osaka is being forced to compromise this essential element that puts not only her performance, but also her own wellbeing and sense of self-worth at risk. She is not the first athlete to speak out about mental health; Kevin Love revealed his own vulnerability in The Player’s Tribune in 2020, admitting that he “[tried] to achieve [his] way out of depression” but still confronts mental health challenges despite a long list of accomplishments. Michael Phelps, one of the most successful Olympians of all time, has been vocal about his struggles with mental health and argues that even for athletes, who depend on high-functioning bodies for a living, mental health is just as important as physical health. According to Athletes for Hope, data shows that 35% of elite athletes suffer from some form of mental health crisis including stress, eating disorders, burnout, or depression and anxiety. Yet the criticism and backlash toward Osaka’s decision makes it seem as though these highly successful athletes are shouting into the void.

A recent piece in The New Yorker discussing the complexity of Osaka’s decision frames the moment in a way that can be transposed into any workplace: “Mental health is, and perhaps always will be, imperfectly understood; there are, and probably always will be, arguments about what, if anything, professional athletes owe to the press and to the public, and what is owed to them”.

What do employees owe to their employers, if anything, beyond performing their essential job functions – especially if they are doing so at a high level? And what do leaders owe to their employees, if not permission to be vulnerable and to take care of their own wellbeing?

Leading With Vulnerability – Easier Said Than Done?

More and more leaders are talking about leading with vulnerability. Just one example is a recent article from The American Lawyer exposing the “palpable” stress and anxiety experienced by partners at law firms and emphasizing the opportunity that exists to inspire others by demonstrating vulnerability. But as we’ve seen with Naomi Osaka, no number of accolades makes a person immune to judgement. Leading with vulnerability takes a huge amount of confidence and conviction – and thick skin, because to do it authentically involves risk. But more often than not, that risk pays off in the form of higher levels of trust in the organization and in the leader. In September 2020, Indeed’s Senior Vice President of HR Paul Wolfe provided an excellent example of how to authentically lead with vulnerability – not just pay lip service to the idea. In an email to 10,000 employees, Wolfe revealed that he had been living with OCD for 15 years and that the stresses of the year – including the pandemic and Black Lives Matter protests – had him struggling day to day. He received dozens of affirmative and supportive emails from employees.

Naomi Osaka took a huge risk by revealing her own vulnerabilities, on a global stage and at the height of her career. But her decision catalyzed a critical conversation in her industry and provided an opportunity for her sponsors and fans to rally in support of her wellbeing. There is every reason to believe she will come out of this more resilient and with stronger relationships to those that are invested in her success as a professional; leaders of every kind should take note.