Be The Authentic Leader They Follow (Not The Title They Tolerate)

Leadership isn’t a title; it’s the energy people feel when you walk in. “Authentic leadership” often gets thrown around, but it’s not oversharing or a vibe. In practice, it’s choosing your words on purpose and backing them with consistent actions while tuning to who’s listening. That’s how you build trust and buy-in: align your humanity with how you lead, not by saying everything out loud.

We’ve all met the leader whose title enters the room before their humanity does. It works, until it doesn’t. People don’t follow titles; they follow how you show up. That’s the core of Suezette Yasmin Robotham’s Beyond Titles: Fearlessly Leading as Your Authentic Self, a handbook for loosening identity-by-job and leading from something deeper than job labels (think “VP,” “Head of X,” “high potential”).

In unsteady moments, your job is to steady the room without losing yourself: name what’s true, listen before fixing, say what’s next, and stay with them. Below, I’ll show the research and a practical playbook of three shifts and five moves to make that real.

Authentic Leaders Deliver Results, With Conditions

Research links authenticity to wellbeing and engagement, prerequisites for sustained performance. A 2020 meta-analysis found meaningful positive associations across diverse contexts.

But authenticity isn’t a free pass to be unfiltered. As Herminia Ibarra’s “Authenticity Paradox” argues, clinging to a comfortable self can stall growth. In stretch seasons, you may feel “not me” at first. That’s part of becoming the leader the moment requires. Unfiltered sharing can also undercut credibility, so pair honesty with judgment and context.

And being “fully yourself” at work still feels risky for many. Kenji Yoshino’s and Deloitte’s “covering” research reveals the widespread prevalence of self-minimizing behavior; a 2023 update reported that ~60% of U.S. workers covered at work in the prior year, resulting in costs to morale and productivity.

Bottom line: authenticity boosts energy and trust, but culture makes it safe. Leaders are responsible for building that safety.

Three Shifts To Lead Beyond Titles

Robotham’s contribution is practical: decenter the job label and recenter the human who leads. Here are three shifts I use with leadership teams to practice steady, authentic leadership.

1) From “I am my title” → “I am my throughline”

What it is: Titles change. Your throughline — values, principles, lived experience — doesn’t. Robotham encourages leaders to name the story beneath the resume: the beliefs and moments that shape how you decide, hire, and handle pressure.

Try this: Write three hyphens that describe who you are, or a 50-word throughline you’d lead with if your title disappeared tomorrow. Audit two recent decisions: Where did you honor that throughline? Where did you default to optics?

Why it works: A clear throughline makes authenticity work for performance — people engage, try harder, and stay — without tying who you are to a job title. It’s a steady leadership signal in unsteady times.

2) From “bring your whole self” → “bring your real self, responsibly”

What it is: “Whole self” can become a license to vent or ignore norms. Robotham frames authenticity as courageous alignment — feelings, words, and actions — tempered by purpose and impact. Stretching can feel unfamiliar at first. Share what serves the work and your teams, not everything you’re feeling.

Try this: Before high-stakes conversations, I run a quick pre-brief:

1. What’s true for me right now? (name it)
2. What might be different for them? (consider it)
3. What’s beneficial for them? (filter it)
4. What’s the smallest honest sentence I can say up front to built trust and calm? (deliver it)

I also use short scripts to steady leaders in high-stakes moments. They’re not canned lines. They’re starting points that keep you clear, kind, and accountable.

Say this, then listen:

• Performance → “I’m noticing missed deadlines, and I want to help you succeed. Let’s look at what’s blocking you and reset expectations.”
• Prioritization → “We’re overloaded and quality is slipping. I’m pausing two projects so this team can deliver what matters.”
• Employment decision → “Your employment ends on [date]. We haven’t seen the needed progress in [areas] documented in our recent reviews, even with coaching and support. I’ll outline final pay, benefits, and next steps, and answer any questions.”

Why it works: You model honesty and good judgment. Authenticity works when leaders speak plainly, honor dignity, focus on the work, and reduce ambiguity.

3) From “fit in” → “fit, and make room”

What it is: Many still “cover” to survive — softening how they talk, what they wear, or what they share about family, faith, health, or identity to avoid being judged or sidelined. You can’t call for authenticity while rewarding sameness. Robotham’s lens invites managers to widen the aperture, allowing different expressions of performance and engagement to be seen and advanced.

Try this:

• Where might people be shrinking (in language, attire, or ideas) to meet an unwritten rule?
• Which rituals or review criteria reward conformity over outcomes?
• What one policy, practice, or meeting norm could you change this quarter to make room for different lived experiences and thoughts?

Why it works: Covering is pervasive and harmful. Score results over style. In reviews, reward what people deliver, not how closely they mimic the boss.

Five Moves To Make Authentic Leadership Work

1. Purposeful story, briefly told: Open with a 60-second decision story and the value that guided it. Why it works: signals principles without centering you. Guardrail: no confessions; one lesson, one next step.
2. The smallest honest sentence: “Here’s what we know, what we don’t yet, and what happens next. You won’t be left alone. I’ll update you by [time].” Why it works: People want to know you’re paying attention and that they won’t be abandoned. At senior levels, every word (and silence) carries weight. Edit before you speak so the headline is clear, the unknowns are named, and anxiety stays low. Guardrail: Share only what serves the goal and the people, not what relieves your discomfort. Clarity beats catharsis.
3. Covering check-in (quarterly): Anonymous pulse: “Do any of our norms make it harder for you to contribute fully?” Share one change and track participation/idea flow a month later. Why it works: reduces the need to “play it safe.” Guardrail: protect identities; publish themes, not individuals.
4. Stretch, don’t snap: Take one “identity-stretch” each quarter (lead a room you avoid, try a new practice). Feeling “less like yourself” at first is a sign of growth, not fraud. Why it works: builds range without performative oversharing. Guardrail: set scope/time; debrief what expanded.
5. Ask, absorb, act on feedback: Ask: What helped you do your best work as yourself this week? Where are our experiences different? What’s one change that would make it safer to speak up? Act: Lock changes into team agreements (meeting norms, feedback cadence, decision rights). Track: speak-up moments, ideas submitted, follow-through on norms, and a 1-question pulse: “I can be myself and do great work here.” Why it works: ties “being real” to results. Guardrail: score results over style; avoid rewarding performance theater.

The Pitfalls (And How To Avoid Them)

• Turning authenticity into a brand campaign. Let others describe your impact; you live it in your decisions. Tie being real to choices, not slogans.
• Oversharing under stress. Share only what serves business goals and the people. Oversharing weakens trust and erodes credibility. Set boundaries and use the smallest honest sentence in high-stakes moments.
• Calling for ‘whole selves’ while rewarding sameness. Change one rule, ritual, or review criterion each quarter that currently penalizes differences.

Be The Authentic Leader Others Want To Follow

Here’s what leaders know but forget under pressure: your presence sets the emotional weather. Keep it steady so people keep moving. Don’t be the noise that sends them into Why this? Why now? Why you?

Authenticity isn’t oversharing; it’s aligning your humanity with how you lead. If you want people to follow and do their best, don’t lean on titles or charisma. Invest in managers who can name their throughline, speak plainly, set healthy limits, and remove norms that make people shrink. That’s the operating system for trust, speed, and quality in a world changing faster than org charts.

Robotham’s Beyond Titles offers a humane nudge: stop outsourcing your identity to your role. Bring your real self — responsibly, with range — and design a culture where others can do the same. Be the authentic leader they follow, not the title they tolerate.