Followers Sniff Inauthenticity
Have you ever walked into a room and instantly felt that a leader wasn’t being real? Maybe their smile didn’t quite reach their eyes. Maybe their words sounded rehearsed, polished to perfection but strangely empty. Or maybe the energy just felt… off.
We pick up on these things faster than we realize. Followers sniff out inauthenticity instantly — and the cost is high. When leaders wear masks or operate from a place of pretense, people feel it. Teams pull back. Trust erodes. Creativity shuts down. The culture quietly shifts from connection to caution.
And once that happens, performance is no longer about possibility — it’s about protection.
Safe vs. Fake Leadership
The difference between safe and fake leadership is profound.
Authenticity creates safety — the kind of environment where people feel free to speak up, share ideas, and take smart risks. It signals, “You can be human here.”
Fakeness, on the other hand, creates fear. It sends the message that people must perform, hide their mistakes, and carefully manage impressions. It’s exhausting — for everyone.
Teams don’t thrive on perfection; they thrive on truth. When a leader shows up as real, the whole team exhales.
The Hidden Cost of Inauthentic Leadership
According to Gallup, only one in three employees strongly trust their leaders. Think about that. Two-thirds of people show up to work uncertain whether their leader truly means what they say. And that mistrust costs organizations billions every year in disengagement, turnover, and lost potential.
A big part of that comes down to one thing: leaders who don’t walk their talk.
Authenticity, on the other hand, is magnetic. When leaders lead with their true selves — their values, their stories, their quirks, and even their imperfections — people lean in. Trust deepens. Teams feel safe enough to take risks and stretch beyond their comfort zones. And that’s when performance doesn’t just improve — it accelerates.
How to Lead with Raw Edges
Let’s be clear — authentic leadership doesn’t mean oversharing or telling your life story in every meeting. It means aligning your real self with your leadership self. It’s about showing up as whole and honest, even when that feels a little uncomfortable.
Here are three practical ways to start leading with authenticity:
1. Lead with Stories
Share the why behind your decisions. People don’t connect with bullet points — they connect with human experiences. When you share what shaped your thinking, others understand not just what you’re doing, but why it matters.
2. Ground Yourself in Values
Know your non-negotiables. When your choices consistently reflect your core values, people start to trust your leadership because they can see the consistency between your words and your actions.
3. Show Imperfection
Perfection creates distance. Vulnerability creates connection. Admitting mistakes or moments of uncertainty doesn’t make you weak — it makes you relatable. And that’s what people remember.
A Real Leadership Example
One CEO I coached decided to try something different in his weekly all-hands meetings. Instead of jumping straight into business updates, he started each meeting with a simple two-minute reflection:
“Here’s something I learned this week — and here’s how I stumbled.”
The result was remarkable. His team started mirroring that same openness. They began sharing what they were learning, what wasn’t working, and where they needed help. Suddenly, innovation picked up. Collaboration deepened. Fear faded.
Authenticity didn’t just create safety — it created momentum.
As always, I want to share some reflective Questions for You. Take a few quiet minutes and think about these:
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Where do you feel most tempted to “perform” instead of being real?
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What story could you share this week that reveals more of your true self?
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How might showing your imperfection actually strengthen trust in your team?
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