About authenticity and leadership

In one of my recent posts, I reflected on how as a child, I struggled with the fear of making wrong judgments. Another fear I had in my adulthood and, perhaps even more, was the fear of appearing foolish in front of highly accomplished people. For years, I tiptoed through conversations, trying to “get it right” and impress.

Later in my career, I had a surprising realization: authenticity is everything.

In one of my roles, I routinely interacted with brilliant, accomplished, often national level leaders. Ironically, my best conversations happened when I didn’t know much about their impressive credentials. I wasn’t trying to impress—I was just being myself. Those were the moments that led to genuine connection, deeper dialogue, and mutual respect. On the other hand, whenever I tried too hard to appear capable, the interactions felt strained.

So how do we cultivate authenticity and grow into self-assurance? How do we learn to be truly comfortable in our own skin?

These are more than soft skills—they are core drivers of success and leadership. The intangibles drive the tangibles. And the good news? With self-awareness, they can be learned, practiced, and strengthened.