Dear Reader,

Halloween is right around the corner, which means it's almost time to dress up!

Although, come to think of it, some of us do that pretty regularly at work. Not with wigs, fake blood, or elaborate costumes. Just a few familiar characters.

The Leader Who Has All the Answers. Never admits to not knowing something. Would rather spend three hours figuring it out alone than ask for help.

The Always Available Colleague. Responds to emails at 11 p.m. Picks up the phone on vacation. Hasn't met a boundary they couldn't ignore.

The Unflappable Executive. Calm, cool, collected. Even when everything is on fire and they're internally screaming.

The Corporate Executive Person™. Always polished. Says things like “let's circle back” and “let's take this offline.” Works hard to project the image of what they think an executive is supposed to look and sound like (even if it’s not like them at all).

The Boss Who Has Everything Under Control. Doesn't delegate because it's easier to do it themselves. Secretly wonders why they're so overwhelmed.

Recognize anyone?

Maybe you've played one of these characters yourself.

And TBH, most of us aren't intentionally pretending to be someone we're not. We're just trying to live up to what we think a successful leader is supposed to look like.

Confident. Capable. Available. Unshakeable.

So we put on the costume. And we do it so often that we forget we're even wearing one.

But It takes energy to always have the answers. To never show frustration. To be endlessly available. To project confidence when you're actually uncertain.

And sometimes, the very image we're working so hard to maintain gets in the way of being the leader we want to be.

Because people don't necessarily need us to have all the answers. They don't need us to be available 24/7. And they don't need us to be perfect.

They need us to be human.

Of course, being a leader sometimes requires us to stretch beyond what's comfortable or natural. That's part of the job.

But there's a difference between growing into a role and playing a role that doesn't feel like you.

So as Halloween approaches, here's a question worth considering:

What costume have you been wearing at work that you're ready to take off?

Maybe the scariest thing isn't letting people see who you really are. Maybe it's realizing how much energy you've spent trying to be someone else.

Happy Halloween! 🎃

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With ease, Tracy

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