Why Authenticity Matters

"You're so brave."
"I've always wanted to do that, but I don't think I could get away with it."
"Maybe sometime in the future."

I get a lot of comments about my brightly colored hair from people of all ages, in all different kinds of work places, and in all walks of life

Almost all of them are people wishing they could do the same, but feeling too nervous or scared to give it a try.

I remember those feelings - because even though I'd wanted neon hair since my teenage years, I always felt like I "couldn't":

If I wanted a good job.
If I wanted to be taken seriously.
If I wanted people to actually listen to what I had to say.

Sometimes, it can feel hard, scary, or straight-up impossible to take a leap, to be different, to step into our true identity.

This is true for individuals, for leaders, and for organizations.

Five years into living this neon-hair life, here's a secret I wish everyone knew:

When you make a choice that clarifies and affirms your own identity, you naturally improve your chance of success (or happiness), and you show others they can be themselves, too.

Being clear about who you are matters.
For individuals.
For leaders.
For organizations.

When you hide or ignore certain parts of your identity, you end up working against yourself and your goals.

Your strengths can't shine through when you're not clear on who you are.

I recognize that I carry a lot of privilege, and that privilege certainly impacts my perceptions about whether I can afford to fail or be perceived a certain way.

In two decades of working with executives and senior leaders though, I find that the people who are most afraid or most feel they “can't afford to fail" are often in positions of privilege and power. When those people take a step forward into being more themselves, they create important space for others to do the same.

If you're in the social good sector, we need your unique, brilliant, and beautiful differences - both as a leader and an organization - to find creative, effective, and collaborative ways to improve the world for the people we serve and the people who power our organizations.

Is something keeping you from gaining strategic clarity for yourself or your organization?

I’m here to help - just send me a message and tell me you’re ready to get started.