![]() |
11.07.25
Don’t Be Yourself
THE groundwork for the modern cult of authenticity was laid in our era by philosophers like Rousseau and others of his mindset who followed him. Their idea that any constraints laid on us or attempts to conform us by society make us inauthentic. But the fact is, we find out who we are in relation to other people and the communities in which we interact. Our uninhibited self is rarely our best self. In Don’t Be Yourself: Why Authenticity Is Overrated (and What to Do Instead) published by Harvard Business Review Press, author Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic asks, “What if chasing authenticity was an actual trap—one that oversimplifies human complexity, disregards the necessity of compromise, and leaves us ill-equipped to navigate the nuanced realities of modern life, which include focusing not just on ourselves and how we feel, but also on others?”` Our uninhibited, authentic self can hold us back from the potential we have. Contrary to what the authenticity cult predicates, success is rarely attained through radical honesty or by always showing every single side of ourselves. Instead, it’s a function of carefully managing your self-presentation—adapting to situations and showcasing the qualities that are best appreciated by others—while making an effort to conceal negative, undesirable, and irrelevant aspects of your personality. Chamorro-Premuzic presents us with four authenticity traps that encourage us to be our unfiltered selves regardless of the situation and refuse to compromise. The Four Authenticity Traps
Instead… You will be more successful if you keep these thoughts in mind:
The common thread here is humility and an other-focus. As leaders, the more you focus on yourself, the less you will care about the needs of those you lead. Your leadership becomes narcissistic. Focusing on being nice, ethical, and competent, and being perceived as trustworthy by others, especially followers, leaders often view authenticity as an end goal, as if it was a critical enabler of their success. However, focusing too much on authenticity—in this case, adhering too closely to the “just be yourself” mantra—will foster a narcissistic mindset that is not conducive to leadership effectiveness. Instead, leaders would be better off if they focused on being other-oriented, so as to understand how other people think and feel in order to enable them to work together. The question is, how can we best display our character and humanity in a way that is most beneficial to our goals and objectives? By shifting our perspective, beyond the assumption that others value our unfiltered or genuine self per se, we can unlock more effective strategies for navigating the complexities and cultural nuances of work and life. This approach, while less self-serving, comforting, or self-obsessed, empowers us to be more intentional about how we present ourselves, communicate, and connect with others. It allows us to balance sincerity with adaptability, personal values with professional demands, and emotional truth with strategic thinking. In doing so, we can become more effective, better performers who rise to challenges with an awareness of our limitations, better leaders who inspire trust and collaboration, and better coworkers who contribute meaningfully to shared goals. ![]()
Posted by Michael McKinney at 08:22 AM
11.06.25
Leading Thoughts for November 6, 2025
IDEAS shared have the power to expand perspectives, change thinking, and move lives. Here are two ideas for the curious mind to engage with: Nick Huber on responsibility: “This might hurt. This is likely hard to swallow. Source: The Sweaty Startup: How to Get Rich Doing Boring Things Adam Grant on discomfort: “Becoming a creature of discomfort can unlock hidden potential in many different types of learning. Summoning the nerve to face discomfort is a character skill—an especially important form of determination. It takes three kinds of courage: to abandon your tried-and-true methods, to put yourself in the ring before you feel ready, and to make more mistakes than others make attempts. The best way to accelerate growth is to embrace, seek, and amplify discomfort.” Source: Hidden Potential: The Science of Achieving Greater Things Look for these ideas every Thursday on the Leading Blog. Find more ideas on the LeadingThoughts index.
Posted by Michael McKinney at 02:27 PM
11.05.25
To Achieve the Extraordinary, Focus on the Game Changers
IN a world of constant change, leaders face relentless pressure to deliver results. Yet the greatest leaders know that true success is not measured only by outcomes, but also by their ability to create conditions for others to thrive and achieve the extraordinary. Of course, everyone in your organization plays an important role. But there are the very select few who show a truly exceptional talent. They are the ones who have the potential to achieve extraordinary things, who push the whole team further, under the most pressing conditions. They are the ones who are not just satisfied with the status quo on a high level. They are going the furthest, taking the risks that pay off, delivering outstanding performance as a baseline, creating innovative solutions, and inspiring others to level up. It’s these special individuals that make you think: If they quit, we’ve got a real problem! I call these individuals Game Changers. In my experience, you’ll find only a very small percentage among your people. They don’t just exceed predetermined targets or goals. They have the potential to deliver consistently exceptional, game-changing performance. However, to reach that level, they need to be recognized, understood, and most of all, led to fully develop. I describe the relationship between a leader and the Game-Changer as a Winning Match. Here are three essential strategies for leaders when building a Winning Match with Game Changers:
When you establish these regular leadership sparring sessions - where you share your knowledge, offer guidance, and open your network, Game Changers begin to see more than a leader. They see your genuine commitment to the overall success, your belief in their role within the organization, and your investment in bringing out the best in them. They recognize your clear ambition to help them reach their full potential. And then, something remarkable happens: a certain magic emerges in these conversations. That dynamic of trust, challenge, and inspiration becomes the foundation for a true Winning Match. All in all, a Winning Match represents the ideal combination between a driven individual with game-changer potential and their leader, who acts as their Leadership Champion – engaging in regular, challenging, honest, and deeply supportive interactions. This partnership becomes the cornerstone for creating extraordinary results through your Game Changers. ![]() ![]()
Posted by Michael McKinney at 05:02 PM
11.01.25
First Look: Leadership Books for November 2025
HERE'S A LOOK at some of the best leadership books to be released in November 2025 curated just for you. Be sure to check out the other great titles being offered this month.
What is the brand strategy Apple, Starbucks, and other market leaders have mastered for decades, yet never name? It’s not differentiation. It’s not purpose. It’s something far more powerful, and in today’s hyper-competitive business world, it’s the only strategy that consistently wins. It’s called De-Positioning, a method that turns your competitor’s strengths into liabilities while positioning your brand as the only solution your customer truly trusts. De-Positioning works by identifying the most critical problem your customer needs solved, exposing how your competitors fail to solve it, and making your brand the clear, inevitable choice. When applied with discipline, it renders competitors irrelevant.
What’s your Next Play? An elite performance coach reveals the life-changing two-word philosophy for simplifying success. It’s easy to become convinced that the secret to a great career, a high-performing team, or a fulfilled life must be hidden in a complex formula or framework. The truth about success is that it isn’t complicated. We just tend to make it that way. This book contains 34 powerfully simple strategies and 35 practical exercises designed to show how reaching the top of your game doesn’t require more. It requires less but better.
Strong cultures don't emerge by accident. They're built—with clarity, consistency, and design. This is your guide. Today's leaders are navigating a storm of competing demands: rising economic and social pressures, rapid technological disruption, and a workforce that expects greater purpose and accountability than ever before. In this unpredictable climate, a weak culture erodes trust, loyalty, and performance. A strong one, by contrast, makes the difference between clarity and confusion, resilience and fragility. It's time to get intentional about your company's culture.
Stop being someone who could succeed and become someone who predictably should succeed by using a revolutionary “probability hacking” framework to increase your odds of success. Every goal that you’re pursuing has two hidden numbers attached to it—a probability of success and a probability of failure. Whether you’re trying to start a business, run a marathon, get a promotion, earn a pilot’s license, grow a bumper crop of tomatoes, or sign an acting deal, these two percentages are always lurking in the shadows predicting what is going to happen. But most of us never think about them. We assume our odds are unknowable and unchangeable. This dangerous lie leads millions of people to fail at goals where they were perfectly capable of succeeding. You can choose a smarter path.
Quick Leadership by Selena Rezvani equips you with modern, people-first strategies for leading in today's fast-moving, fast-changing workplaces. Forget outdated, top-down management―this book is packed with real-world tips that help you build trust, boost performance, and bring out the best in your team (without burning yourself out). Selena Rezvani, a renowned leadership expert and coach, guides readers through simple, doable strategies that boost trust, inclusivity, and innovation - critical elements in a time when employees are demanding more purpose, autonomy, and respect in their work. In Quick Leadership, Rezvani offers a wealth of insights on how to cultivate a thriving work culture.
![]()
“You can't think well without writing well, and you can't write well without reading well. And I mean that last "well" in both senses. You have to be good at reading, and read good things.” — Paul Graham, Y Combinator co-founder
Posted by Michael McKinney at 08:35 AM
10.31.25
LeadershipNow 140: October 2025 Compilation
See more on
Posted by Michael McKinney at 08:33 AM
10.30.25
Leading Thoughts for October 30, 2025
IDEAS shared have the power to expand perspectives, change thinking, and move lives. Here are two ideas for the curious mind to engage with: Robert A. Heinlein on the importance of knowing your history: “A generation which ignores history has no past —and no future.” Source: Time Enough for Love Rasmus Hougaard and Jacqueline Carter on AI objectivity: “We all like to think we’re wise. And in our own ways, we are. But we’re also all quite limited. A powerful way for leaders to leverage the potential of AI systems is to use it to challenge what they think they know and who they think they are. In leadership, it’s incredibly beneficial to people who are willing to tell you when you’re making a big mistake. But as we rise through the ranks of leadership, it can be more and more difficult to surround ourselves with people who are comfortable challenging us. This reluctance among peers or subordinates is due to positional power and natural human biases regarding social hierarchies. Source: More Human: How the Power of AI Can Transform the Way You Lead Look for these ideas every Thursday on the Leading Blog. Find more ideas on the LeadingThoughts index.
Posted by Michael McKinney at 09:59 AM
10.28.25
How to Thrive Under Fear-Based Leaders
In our fast-changing world, fear-based leaders rise quickly—tightening their grip as chaos grows. But what if you could learn to predict their behavior, neutralize their impact, and protect what matters most? A new style of leader is in town, and it’s a blast from the past. Across tech, business, and the social sector, fear-based leadership is suddenly all the rage. This type of leadership started thousands of years ago, when some of the first humans to experience power dynamics decided to abuse it. It’s a “might makes right” approach — top down, hierarchical, and “my way is the highway.” Leaders like this model themselves after feudal lords, and if you’re around them, they expect you to bow down. They deliberately manufacture chaos, because when other people are shaken by instability, it makes them easier to control — and reinforces that the leader is the lone source of truth in the ecosystem. A lot of people are thrown by this. They see people around them being yelled at, shamed, and belittled, and feel like they’re trapped in a dark parallel universe that makes no sense. I’m here to tell you that these leaders and their chaos are not illogical — they just follow a different type of logic. If you can understand how they think and make decisions, they become highly predictable. And the thing about predictable people is that tactics work very reliably on them. Some things to understand how they think:
Accordingly, here are some of the tactics that work best on them, whether they’re your investor, board member, church leader, or family member:
Know that as you deal with these very difficult personalities, you’re not alone — and there is hope. They’re not monsters, they’re just very flawed humans, and if you have the skills to manage them, you can protect what you care about most. ![]() ![]()
Posted by Michael McKinney at 06:31 PM
10.23.25
Leading Thoughts for October 23, 2025
IDEAS shared have the power to expand perspectives, change thinking, and move lives. Here are two ideas for the curious mind to engage with: Jeffrey Pfeffer on authenticity: “The last thing a leader needs to be at crucial moments is ‘authentic’—at least if authentic means being both in touch with and exhibiting their true feelings. In fact, being authentic is pretty much the opposite of what leaders must do. Leaders do not need to be true to themselves. Rather, leaders need to be true to what the situation and what those around them want and need from them.” Source: Leadership BS: Fixing Workplaces and Careers One Truth at a Time Steven Goldbach and Geoff Tuff on getting behind the interpretation: “People frequently speak to each other at the level of a conclusion rather than sharing the data or how they interpreted the data. As a result, when people disagree, they may be doing so simply because they aren’t looking at the foundational information that drew them to different conclusions. ” Source: Provoke: How Leaders Shape the Future by Overcoming Fatal Human Flaws Look for these ideas every Thursday on the Leading Blog. Find more ideas on the LeadingThoughts index.
Posted by Michael McKinney at 02:32 PM
|
BUILD YOUR KNOWLEDGE
![]()
How to Do Your Start-Up Right STRAIGHT TALK FOR START-UPS
Grow Your Leadership Skills NEW AND UPCOMING LEADERSHIP BOOKS
Leadership Minute BITE-SIZE CONCEPTS YOU CAN CHEW ON
Classic Leadership Books BOOKS TO READ BEFORE YOU LEAD |