They didn’t sweat. They didn’t cry. They squirmed in their own skin, playing a role of their own inventing. A leader in times of crisis can’t have an iota of fa

They didn’t sweat. They didn’t cry. They squirmed in their own skin, playing a role of their own inventing. A leader in times of crisis can’t have an iota of fakeness in him. I love this quote, and it doesn't just apply to leaders or CEOs, it applies to people. Most people I know squirm in their own skin in their personal lives, playing a role of their own inventing. Very, very few people are comfortable enough with themselves to let the people around them peek inside. Interestingly, letting people see you squirm tends to have extremely therapeutic effect, so all that energy you wasted on putting up a facade was completely unnecessary. That being said, I think there is a very fine line here, and excessive honesty can be disastrous. If you try to snatch the curtain away in one fell swoop while you're still uncomfortable in your own skin, what you think will seem authentic, will almost certainly be perceived as an outright panic (because that's what it is). You can't do it too early -- it's a gradual, often painful process of learning, self-acceptance, and building authentic relationships with other people. You're too scared to let the people see your inner self because you're weak, so you lift the curtain a little bit. Doing that gives you insights about yourself and about others, which in turn builds strength. Then you can lift the curtain a little more. Rinse, and repeat, hopefully for the rest of your life. That being said, some people have a natural inclination to go through this process much, much quicker than others. It has certainly been a difficult process for me, and I'm still nowhere near the finish line (in fact, I think this process is asymptotic, and I am just now beginning see the asymptote somewhere in the distance).