Why Your Weakness Might Be Your Strongest Leadership Move

By Jason Stonehouse

Here’s the brutal truth they don’t tell you in leadership books. You’re not strong enough, smart enough, or strategic enough to lead well on your own. You never were. And strangely, that’s not a problem. That’s actually where leadership starts to get good.

Somewhere along the line, we picked up the idea that maturity means being unshakable. That real leaders should be confident, decisive, and composed at all times. So we hide our fear, downplay our struggles, and show up like everything’s under control. The result? We end up exhausted, disconnected, and wondering if we’re the only ones faking it.

But what if it’s not your strength that makes you effective, but your honesty?

There’s a line from the apostle Paul where he writes,

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”He follows that by saying,“Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” (2 Corinthians 12:9)

That doesn’t exactly sound like a corporate coaching mantra. But it might be the most freeing leadership advice you’ll ever hear.

Weakness Isn't the Enemy. Pretending Is.

Leading from weakness doesn’t mean you fall apart publicly or dump your insecurities on your team. It means you stop performing. You stop managing your image and start showing up as a whole person. Yes, with flaws. Yes, with needs. But also with presence.

Alan Fadling describes this kind of posture as “unhurried.” It’s leadership without panic. It’s grounded and calm. You’re not showing up to impress anyone. You’re making space. Space to think. Space to feel. Space for others to be real too.

This doesn’t mean you stop growing or pursuing excellence. It just means you stop believing the lie that if you're not the smartest person in the room, you’re failing. You stop pushing so hard to make something happen and start listening for what might already be happening under the surface.

So What Does It Actually Look Like?

Let’s clear up a few things. Leading from weakness is not:

• Oversharing

• Being vague or passive

• Using your pain as a strategy

But it is:

• Asking more questions than you answer

• Owning your limits without apology

• Making decisions without rushing

• Saying “I don’t know” without shame

It’s not about being soft. It’s about being solid. Honest, clear, and deeply human.

Curiosity Beats Competence

There’s a moment in J.R. Briggs’ book where he says,

“The quality of your life is determined by the quality of the questions you ask God, yourself, and others.”

And he’s right. Weakness doesn’t just invite humility. It invites curiosity. It shifts the conversation from “How do I solve this?” to “What is this teaching me?” or “What else might be going on here?”

Curious leaders stay grounded. They don’t panic when things get uncertain. They pay attention. They ask better questions. They make space for people to grow instead of pressuring them to perform.

The Payoff? Peace. And a Whole Lot Less Burnout.

Leading from weakness might feel strange at first. Especially if you’ve spent years perfecting your competency game. But what grows in that space is peace. You stop holding everything so tightly. You stop walking into meetings with the pressure to nail it. You start trusting that the world doesn’t rest on your shoulders.

There’s a prayer in the Old Testament that says,

“We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.” (2 Chronicles 20:12)

That’s not a cop-out. That’s clarity. It’s a reminder that surrender is often the smartest leadership move in the room.

Bottom Line: You’re Not the Point

You don’t need to impress. You need to be available. That’s where things change. That’s where transformation starts.

So stop wasting energy trying to hide your weaknesses. Let them be seen. Let them breathe. And watch what happens when you stop leading from pressure and start leading from presence.