“Fake leaders can build momentum, but only real ones stand the test of time.“
Let’s just call it what it is – fake leadership might get you through a season, but it will never carry you into your calling.
You can lead with charisma, cleverness, and control for a season – but if you’re not aligned with truth, values, and a higher purpose, it will fall apart and eventually people will see through it. You can have the title, the look, the great LinkedIn quotes, and even the “vision,” but if there’s even a sliver of self-gain behind your motives, it will show up eventually. It always does.
But if you’re the real deal – if your leadership is rooted in service, conviction, and calling – then opposition doesn’t stop you. In fact, it sharpens you. Because what’s built on truth can NOT be taken down by pressure.
I’ve made this mistake.
I’ve put people in leadership roles strictly because of their skills. On paper, they were all-stars – productive, polished, and experienced. But I didn’t stop to ask the deeper question: What’s really driving them?
I wasn’t looking at their heart. I wasn’t asking what their core values were. And it bit me – more than once.
Because when pressure comes, character breaks the surface, and those who were in it for themselves? They showed it. And those teams? They were busted up.
- Authenticity isn’t charisma.
- It’s not confidence.
- It’s not being liked.
It’s living and leading with nothing to hide. It’s being the same person in the office, the shop, on the job site, at the dinner table, and in front of your team.
Sometimes the reason small companies stay small is because the leader hasn’t yet learned this truth: You can’t build something big for yourself until you help others get what they want.
You say you want to grow your business – that’s cool. Then grow your people.
You want loyalty? Then serve before you ask for effort.
You want leaders? Then BE one.
You don’t have to chase credibility or force your leadership to work. Just live it. Walk it out with consistency. Because the truth is this – if it’s rooted in selfish motives, it’ll collapse on its own. But if it’s authentic, if you truly want to serve and grow others, NO one can stop it.
And you have to ask yourself: Are you building something that requires “hype” to sustain it, or are you walking in something that somebody bigger than any of us has already stamped with favor?
Only one of those legacies will last… Which do you think it is?
Let me give it to you straight… People can smell a self-serving leader from a mile away. So if you’re trying to lead with hidden agendas, empty words, or half-hearted investment, stop wondering why your team isn’t bought in.
Here are 3 ways to become a more authentic leader – and these aren’t things you can fake:
1) Say What You Mean. Do What You Say.
- If you said you’d have their back, don’t disappear when it gets messy.
- If you promised growth, deliver a pathway.
- If you cast a vision, sacrifice for it yourself first.
“Your people will never chase your vision harder than you chase their growth.”
2) Put People Over Position.
- Don’t lead from your title – lead from service.
- Ask your team what they want out of the role, the season, the future. Then build around that.
That’s how trust is formed – and trust is the currency of authentic leadership.
“You don’t grow a business. You grow people – and they grow the business.”
3) Check Your Motives – Often.
- Why are you making this decision?
- Who is this really benefiting?
If the answer points more to your ego than your team’s good, slow down and reassess. Your internal compass has to stay aligned, or your influence will drift fast.
“If the spotlight is the goal, don’t be surprised when the stage collapses under your ego.”
I’ll land the plane with this…
You can’t fake real. And eventually, what’s underneath will show up on the surface – for better OR worse.
You want to lead for the long haul? Then drop the act, drop the ego, and lead with a clean heart.
Authenticity doesn’t make you soft – it makes you trusted. And trust builds teams that win!