It’s easy to talk about success. It’s harder to talk about the moments that shaped us:

The missteps. The pivots. The times we led from a place of uncertainty but showed up anyway.

But that’s exactly where connection lives.

Authentic storytelling is about more than showing people what we’ve achieved. It’s about showing them who we are—and how we got here. The lessons we learned the hard way. The values we leaned on when the path wasn’t clear. The moments that made us better humans, not just better professionals.

It’s ironic. Vulnerability is widely praised in leadership literature. Brené Brown, for example, argues that vulnerability isn’t weakness—it’s the foundation of courage, creativity, and trust. Being open about struggle or doubt doesn’t erode leadership—it invites connection. It builds psychological safety.

And yet, many organizations struggle to create room for that kind of leadership. They reward polish over honesty, control over connection. Vulnerability is often something we talk about on stage or in workshops, but not something we practice in the meeting room. Why is that? If vulnerability is so essential to effective, human leadership, why do so many organizations treat it like a liability the higher you go?

That mindset has to shift.

Because people don’t want to be led by a title. They want to be led by someone who gets it.

Someone who’s been in the trenches. Someone who’s made tough calls, missed the mark, and kept going. Someone who’s willing to say, “I don’t have it all figured out—but I’m listening, I care, and I’m here to grow with you.” Someone who isn’t afraid to be vulnerable, human.

They follow people who show up as themselves—and invite others to do the same.

That kind of leadership builds trust. It builds empathy.

It humanizes us—not just as decision-makers, but as people.

What does authentic storytelling look like in action?

Here are some examples:

In the workplace, that might sound like starting a team meeting by sharing how you handled a failure earlier in your career—and how that mistake shaped your approach today.

Online, it might look like a post that says: “This is what the outside world saw when I took this promotion. But behind the scenes? I was battling imposter syndrome, late nights, and self-doubt. Here’s what helped me push through…”

These stories don’t need to be long. They don’t need to be perfect. They just need to be real.

When we lead with vulnerability, we give our teams permission to do the same. We create spaces where people feel safe to speak up, take risks, and show up as their full selves.

And that’s where the magic happens—not just in how we perform, but in how we connect.

The benefit? Deeper trust. Stronger connection. Greater empathy.

Let me be clear: authentic storytelling isn’t about oversharing. It’s about being intentional. It’s about knowing which stories reveal your values, show your process, or offer perspective that helps someone else feel less alone in theirs.

So if you’re a leader trying to figure out what to say—start with your truth.

Not the polished version. The real one.

That’s what people remember.

That’s what people follow.

And more than anything—that’s what people trust.

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