Coaching for Leaders

742: The Problem Leaders Have With Authenticity, with Sabina Nawaz

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Sabina Nawaz: You’re the Boss

Sabina Nawaz is an executive coach who advises C-level executives and teams at Fortune 500 corporations, government agencies, nonprofits, and academic institutions. During her 14-year tenure at Microsoft, she went from managing software development teams to leading the company’s executive development and succession planning efforts for over 11,000 managers and nearly a thousand executives, advising Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer directly. She’s the author of You’re the Boss: Become the Manager You Want to Be (and Others Need)*.

Every leader I know intends to be authentic. Unfortunately, we sometimes use authenticity as an excuse not to do the critical work of calibrating our actions. In this conversation, Sabina and I discuss how to avoid that trap so we can show up more genuinely for others.

Key Points
  • “Yeah, but…” signals justification and holds us back from what we most need to learn.
  • Your success comes despite unhelpful traits, not because of them.
  • Pure authenticity is a complete fallacy. Authenticity is not singular.
  • We sometimes use authenticity as an excuse not to do the important work of calibrating our actions.
  • Don’t let the smokescreen of past “authenticity” get in the way of growth.
  • Authenticity is not static. Reading your old past social media posts will remind you of this.
  • When shifting, start with small experiments to nudge you in a new direction.

    • Language that may be warning signs of the authenticity trap:

    • “That’s just how I am.”
    • “I’m not the kind of person who…”
    • “I’m not being true to myself if…”
    • “That’s the way I’ve always done things, and it’s worked for me.”
      • Resources Mentioned
      • You’re the Boss: Become the Manager You Want to Be (and Others Need)* by Sabina Nawaz
        • Interview Notes

        Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required).

        Related Episodes
        • How to Change Your Behavior, with BJ Fogg (episode 507)
        • How to Start a Big Leadership Role, with Carol Kauffman (episode 617)
        • The Habits That Hold Leaders Back, with Marshall Goldsmith (episode 696)
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