The significance of trust, vulnerability, and relational vulnerability in addressing crises and extreme events

Purpose Recent increases in mega-crises and extreme events underscore the need to better understand vulnerabilities and the dynamics of leadership trust. This study aims to introduce relational vulnerability as a novel concept to improve crisis leadership effectiveness. Design/methodology/approach The study used a multiple-case design to examine two crisis leaders during the 9/11 attacks. Because of the event’s uniqueness, only secondary data was used. Specifically, sources included autobiographies, media and research articles about their leadership. Findings Exploring trust and vulnerability in extreme contexts revealed that relational vulnerability is a third, distinct form that complements imposed and elective types. When leaders openly acknowledge and share their vulnerability with followers, they strengthen collective trust, unity and resilience, which, in turn, supports faster and more successful recovery. Research limitations/implications This study contributes to existing literature by demonstrating that relational vulnerability, as a leadership mechanism, is crucial for effective crisis management, thereby opening new avenues for research. Practical implications The study offers practical implications for crisis managers and leaders: develop training programs that help them embrace relational vulnerability and convert crises into learning opportunities. Originality/value This study fills a research gap by showing how relational vulnerability helps leaders connect with followers during extreme events. While previous studies treated vulnerability as an individual trait, this study reconceptualizes it as an interactive, relational process. Building on this, the work develops a theoretically grounded framework linking trust, vulnerability and leadership behavior during extreme events.