Authenticity is celebrated everywhere today. “Just be yourself” has become the mantra of modern leadership. But the truth is: being real without attunement is not enough - it can even become harmful.
What I’ve learned - both in my own life and through years of coaching executives - is that the real art of communication lies in combining two qualities that seem to contradict each other: staying true to myself and being deeply attuned to the situation and the person in front of me.
If I only train my eloquence and sharpen my arguments - without sensing myself, without heart for the other, without awareness of the moment - then all that remains are empty words. Rhetoric without resonance. Performance without connection.
Because in the end, leadership is not about polished speeches or perfect appearances. It’s about creating real connection.
Authenticity without attunement becomes noise.
Attunement without authenticity becomes manipulation.
Only when both come together does something powerful and transformative emerge.
This is not just the essence of my work as a coach - it’s my personal practice every day. And I stumble, I fail, I get it wrong. But those moments are my teachers. They remind me:
Leadership - like life - is not about perfection. It’s about the courage to stay awake to the tension, and to keep meeting others from that place.