In order to successfully become a good leader after launching our business, we need to learn new skills, learn about our employees, customers, investors and changes to our market. While we clearly knew enough to successfully start a business, we need new skills and knowledge to lead one.

In order to learn, we need to be curious. Think of a baby learning to walk: not only must the baby want to walk, but the baby has to wonder how to walk and then survive many failed attempts before he or she can start screaming while chasing the dog.

But what happens to learning when someone is afraid to fail? Or if someone is unwilling to let others actually see them learn?

Publicly learning new things and being afraid of failure is often a big challenge for a new CEO – the person who started the business, or the one who gets saddled with the final decision and responsibility. Failing and learning requires the courage to be vulnerable.

It means admitting in public that we don’t know something (or actually a lot of somethings).

It means letting people hear and see us ask for help.

It means learning to walk in front of others, probably falling and before being able to take a few jiggly steps.

If we don’t learn the new things we need, we will mess them up, become a bad example, and set the precedent for those around us to do exactly the same.

The success of our leadership and our business is tied closely to our courage to be vulnerable.