The Honest Leader
A place to ask the big questions about honesty, authenticity and the challenges of leadership
“ the question of choosing deception or honesty is not one of ethics, but of wellbeing and the integrity of our social fabric. Each time someone chooses to lie, no matter how small or seemingly inconsequential, a thread unravels. No big reveal that deception has occurred is necessary, no treachery named, no betrayal felt, no punishment to the deceiver doled out – it is the act itself that harms.”
Read more at https://psyche.co/ideas/be-honest-little-white-lies-are-more-harmful-than-you-think
The Big Wigs Were Never a Disguise: What Dolly Parton Got Right About Authentic Leadership
Dolly Parton spent her whole career leaning into artifice — the wigs, the rhinestones, the surgery. So why did she feel more "real" than almost anyone in public life?
It wasn't that she felt free to "be herself." That kind of freedom is usually a privilege of money, fame, and power. Plenty of leaders have it and still come across as fake.
Dolly's authenticity came from somewhere else: an almost total absence of the gap most of us carry between how we see ourselves and how we're afraid others see us.
Authenticity Isn’t About You. It’s About What You Enable
We talk a lot about “authentic leadership” as if it’s simply a matter of being brave or “showing up as yourself.” But in practice, not everyone in an organization has the same freedom to be authentic.
In this new piece, I explore:
Why authenticity is often a reflection of privilege and status, not just personality
How idiosyncrasy credit shapes who can “say what others can’t” in meetings
Why the real measure of authentic leadership is how much authenticity you enable in others, not just how “real” you feel
If you’re a leader, educator, or student thinking about power, voice, and what it really takes to create psychologically safe spaces, I’d love for you to read it and share your thoughts.
I hope this email finds you well: Authenticity pitfalls and AI
Leaders are finding efficient ways to use ChatGPT and other LLMs to craft their emails, from the everyday to the enterprise-level communication. But we need to be aware of the authenticity pitfalls that come with this practice.
What do the worst people you know have in common?
Who is the worst person you know, and why are they that way? We take a look at how the less honesty we give and receive, the more we co-create everyone’s worst version of themselves.