ABSTRACT
The act of Demonstrating Vulnerability within the Inclusive Supervision framework involves a supervisor’s willingness and ability to admit to their lack of knowledge, competence, or understanding, as it pertains to multicultural or social justice issues. One of the more surprising and enlightening discoveries in our research was the notion that supervisors who were perceived as multiculturally competent demonstrated vulnerability, meaning they acknowledged their limitations and shortcomings. Supervisors who modeled risk-taking and humility, Demonstrating Vulnerability with their staff, were seen as more competent. Supervisors who demonstrate comfort with the uncomfortable are more likely to be seen as multiculturally competent and may increase the capacity for their staff to demonstrate similar vulnerability. The foundation for being able to Demonstrate Vulnerability can often be established early in the supervisor-supervisee relationship. Demonstrating Vulnerability may be one of the more challenging tenets of the Inclusive Supervision Model in that it requires what B. A. Farber identified as the difficult balancing act.
