A love letter to authentic leadership

‘You are not everyone’s cup of tea. You’re matcha and that is OK.’

That’s what we said to one of our senior leader clients recently.
They laughed. Then they paused. And then, they let the words settle in, not just in their mind, but in their body (and their shoulders relaxed).

They were wrestling with something we see so often in our coaching work: the tension between authenticity and acceptance.

The exhausting pressure to fit the mould, meet every expectation and become the version of themselves their leaders seem to want.

All while knowing, deep down, that they were slowly disconnecting from who they really are.

This is not an isolated challenge.

So many high-achieving, deeply capable leaders we work with in corporate settings find themselves stuck in this cycle:

✅ Performing

✅ Delivering

✅ Conforming

✅ …while slowly compromising their sense of self.

We understand why.

The corporate world, for all its potential and opportunity giver, can be a space where conformity is rewarded more loudly than originality. Where people-pleasing can feel safer than truth-telling. And where being palatable is often prioritised over being powerful.

But here’s what we believe:

❌ The more you obsess over winning approval, the more you lose touch with yourself
❌ The more you bend to unrealistic expectations, the more you drift from your truth

And therefore the more you drift from achieving your potential and results you know you can achieve.

Authenticity is not a brand.

It is not performative.It is not about being loud, rebellious, or radical just for the sake of it. Authenticity is about being aligned. It means showing up in a way that is honest, grounded, and unpretentious - even when it is uncomfortable.

Here is what authenticity really looks like:

✔️ Choosing integrity over likability

✔️ Saying “no” or “enough” when your wellbeing is compromised

✔️ Expressing your perspective - even when your voice shakes

✔️ Leading in alignment with your values, not someone else’s projection of leadership

✔️ Honouring who you are, not who you’re expected to be.

That’s the type of leadership we champion. That’s the kind of leaders we support.

Letting go of people-pleasing is not easy, yet it is so powerful.

When we asked our client,
‘What do you think you could achieve if you stopped caring only about being liked and started caring more about being you?’

The answer was liberating.
They spoke about vision. Energy. Joy. They imagined a version of leadership that felt more expansive, more sustainable, simply more them.

We felt the shift. And it was a great coaching session all around.

⭐️This is exactly why we do what we do.

We guide leaders back to themselves.

We create space for clarity by encouraging self-connection.

 We hold up the mirror, we listen and we do not judge. Instead we help them see the real power they have had all along.

So to anyone out there who feels the pressure to shrink, twist or edit themselves to fit in:

You are not everyone’s cup of tea. You are matcha and that’s not only OK, it’s brilliant.