“Leave your emotions at the door.”
We've all heard that advice. It's the old-school definition of “Professionalism.”
The ideal leader is Stoic. Unflappable. A machine that processes data and outputs decisions, unaffected by the messy reality of life.
There is just one problem with that: It's a lie.
You are not a machine. Your employees are not machines.
When you try to suppress your humanity, you don't become “Professional.” You become Distant. And distance kills trust.
In the Superhuman Framework, being Human means embracing the messy, emotional, beautiful reality that we are created beings.
It means leading with a limp.
Imago Dei (The Image of God)
The business world uses a term that I hate: “Human Resources.”
Think about that. It puts people in the same category as coal, lumber, or electricity. Resources are things you use up to get a result.
But your people are not resources. They are Image Bearers.
“So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them...”
Genesis 1:27
Every person on your payroll—the star performer and the one on a PIP—bears the stamp of the Creator.
They have souls.
They have burdens.
They have unlimited value apart from their economic output.
| The Professional Mask | The Human Leader |
|---|---|
| Manages “Headcount” | Shepherds Souls |
| Sees employees as resources to be used | Sees employees as Image Bearers to be honored |
| Hides weakness to maintain authority | Shares appropriately to build trust |
| Creates distance for “professionalism” | Creates connection for loyalty |
The Superhuman Leader doesn't manage “Headcount.” They shepherd Souls.
Vulnerability is Strength
For a long time, we thought vulnerability was weakness.
“If the team sees me cry, they'll lose respect.”
“If I admit I'm scared, the stock will drop.”
Jesus flipped the script.
Our High Priest isn't distant. He is Human.
“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.”
Hebrews 4:15
Jesus wept.
John 11:35
Jesus asked for help.
Gethsemane
Jesus bled.
The Cross
If the King of Kings wasn't afraid to show His humanity, why are you?
When You Are Vulnerable:
You create safety.
“If the boss can struggle, so can I.”
You build connection.
We bond over weakness, not strength.
You unlock loyalty.
People fight for a leader they actually know.
Check Yourself
When was the last time you let your team see you without the 'Perfect Boss' filter?
The “Whole Person” Approach
Your employee didn't just come to work today.
The dad who is worried about his sick kid came to work.
The woman who is navigating a divorce came to work.
The young man drowning in student debt came to work.
You can't hire the “Worker” and leave the “Human” in the lobby. They come as a package deal.
How to Lead Humans
Ask the Second Question
“How are you?” gets a generic answer.
“No, really, how are you holding up with [X]?” gets a Human answer.
Normalize the Mess
When life happens (sickness, grief, stress), treat it with grace, not annoyance.
See the Invisible
Look for the signs of burnout or pain that don't show up on a spreadsheet.
Continue Your Journey
Frequently Asked Questions
No—vulnerability is not oversharing. It is strategic authenticity. You do not need to process your deepest struggles in front of your team. But you can admit when you do not have all the answers, acknowledge when something is hard, and show appropriate emotion. The key word is appropriate. Share enough to be human, not so much that it burdens your team or makes them feel unsafe.
Being human does not mean being soft or permissionless. Jesus wept and Jesus flipped tables. True authority comes from trust, and trust comes from authentic connection. Leaders who hide behind a professional mask may maintain positional power, but they lose relational influence. You can hold high standards while also treating people with dignity and showing that you understand their humanity.
Some cultures do punish vulnerability. But research consistently shows that teams with psychological safety—created largely by vulnerable leadership—outperform teams without it. You may need to be strategic about how and when you show vulnerability, but never apologize for being human. Over time, your example can begin to shift the culture. The leaders people remember are rarely the cold, distant ones.
This is the tension every leader faces. The answer is not to ignore results—that would be poor stewardship. The answer is to pursue results while honoring the dignity of the people pursuing them. Ask yourself: Am I treating my team as a means to an end, or am I treating the mission and the people as equally important? You can push hard and still treat people as souls, not just headcount.
Lead with curiosity and compassion before accountability. Ask what is going on. Offer support where you can—flexibility, resources, time. Often, the struggling employee becomes your most loyal team member because you treated them as human when it mattered. That said, there are limits. Grace does not mean endless tolerance of poor performance. But even difficult conversations can be handled with dignity.
There is a difference between confidence and certainty. You can project confidence in your ability to navigate uncertainty even when you do not have all the answers. "I do not know, but we will figure it out together" is both honest and confident. What erodes trust is pretending you have certainty when you do not. People can sense the fakeness. Authentic confidence is more compelling than manufactured certainty.