This might sound counterintuitive, but great leaders aren’t afraid to be a little messy. Being messy is not a hall pass to be careless or cause harm. Being messy is about being your most authentic, imperfect, high-integrity self who isn’t afraid to make mistakes and be fumbly in front of others. This is an invitation for women leaders to embrace and model imperfection as a transformative professional strategy. Being an imperfect, messy-at-times leader can be a massive demonstration of strength, self-trust, and confidence. Leading with this level of vulnerability challenges long-standing workplace myths about how women should show up at work while deconstructing the unrealistic expectation that we must be superhuman performers. This opens the door to reimagining leadership as a dynamic, authentic, constantly evolving-for-the-better journey of continuous learning and growth.

In this episode, I unpack how modeling mistakes creates psychological safety within teams and organizations, reducing a culture of anxiety and fear of failure. By openly acknowledging our own learning processes rather than putting on airs about having it all figured out, women leaders can dismantle harmful stereotypes that suggest competence at work requires flawless execution. I also share how emotional intelligence and genuine self-awareness actually build deeper, more trusting relationships, signaling to team members that professional development can be a non-linear path filled with exciting opportunities for innovation, self-improvement, and personal transformation.

If we check our egos, let go of our internalized perfectionism, and embrace the humility that comes with not having to get it 100% right all the time, we will start to see that being imperfect, modeling learning from mistakes in live time, and letting others know that we don’t always get it 100% right is the pathway to building trust, advancing relationships, unlocking creativity, and driving better outcomes.

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