The Authenticity Frequency (Why 'Faking it' is a Career Bottleneck)
Is your "Leadership Mask" actually visible?
Why high-performers confuse essence with passivity.
In 23 years of Finance and HR, I’ve sat in hundreds of calibration meetings. I’ve seen brilliant 'Ants' passed over for roles they were technically perfect for.
When the room discussed them, the feedback wasn't about their results. It was about a 'vibe'—a sense that they were slightly out of tune. They were trying so hard to sound like a 'Leader' that they lost the frequency of their own Authority.
Consider this: When you enter a high-stakes meeting, are you focused on protecting your image or projecting your perspective?
Most of us choose protection. We use a mask of 'perfect capability' because we think authenticity is a luxury we can't afford yet. But faking authority is exhausting—and worse, it’s transparent.
I invite you to reflect on your last week:
Where did you agree with a decision just to seem 'aligned'?
Where did you stay quiet to avoid sounding 'unprepared'?
What would happen if you traded that 'perfect' mask for a grounded truth?
To help you audit this, I’ve created my Authenticity Alignment Guide. It’s a tool to help you identify where your 'Leadership Fitness' is being drained by faking it.
Authenticity isn't a soft skill. It’s a visibility strategy.
Jessica