Many career coaches advise people to “fake it till they make it,” and “act as if” (they run the place). The thought being that with practice, you’ll eventually become the persona you embody. It seems like an optimistic, forward-thinking personal branding strategy, but most people can see the see past the posturing.

To avoid a bravado backfire, strive for authenticity and congruency – that is, having little to no gap between who you are when “on stage” and those moments when no one is watching.

It takes a lot of energy to don a false persona so be yourself and share your story. People gravitate toward transparency and are inspired by truth so save the stress and let them see your actual leadership style. Who knows, maybe all the acting is what’s holding you back in the first place.

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