Is leadership leading by example?

Being a leader means being an example…? Ok, then let’s do it for real!

Leadership, this mythical creature that sheds its skin every ten years like a snake with performance anxiety. First it was charisma, then vision, then resilience (whatever that means today). Now? We talk about authenticity. But, as usual, between the saying and LinkedIn there is reality.

There was a time when being a leader meant embodying a perfect model: one to aspire to but that no one could truly reach. It was the era of “follow me, but don’t hope to get to where I am”. Then came the soft turning point: transparency, empathy, humanity… beautiful words, yes, but often emptied like a company coffee cup.
So, amidst all this well-crafted acting, the question is: can we really be authentic, or are we just looking for a new filter to appear more convincingly fake?

Here, in this article we try to do a bit of cleaning. Let's get off the pedestal, take off our shoes (which are already dirty anyway) and talk about real authenticity. The uncomfortable one, the one that asks questions, the one that builds real bonds. Not for pretend. Not for KPI.

Farewell to the infallible leader, no one believes in him anymore

Once upon a time, the boss had to be perfect. Like a superhero with a badge, always confident, always sharp, always one step ahead. His job? Show others how far behind they were.
“Imitate me, if you can” – and no one could.

Then organizations began to swerve toward chaos (spoiler: they are still there). The “granite rock” model leader began to crack. Then the season of the “human leader” began: empathetic, open, close.
But only in the company mission PDF.

The problem? Even this “humanity” has become a pose. A programmed transparency, like the automatic newsletters that pretend to write to you by hand. The result is a new mask: less rigid, but still a mask.
We have gone from perfect leader to fake-imperfect leader. Kudos to us.

True authenticity (not the €399 coaching course if you bring a friend)

What if leadership was an act of presence, rather than representation?
Not “show how inspiring you are,” but “actually be there when needed.”
Flaws included. Hesitant answers included. Listening skills, above all.

The point is that authenticity cannot be improvised. It cannot be built in a training weekend with brunch included. It is a daily choice, even an uncomfortable one: expose yourself, welcome, stay.
Admit that you don't have all the answers and that you often lead a team by sailing by sight. And that's okay, if you're willing to do it honestly.

To me, field experience suggests exactly this: stop being a monument, start being a colleague (colleague. From the Latin colleague, der. of bind 'delegate').

Leadership today does not need idols to worship, but real people with whom to build something that lasts longer than a meeting.

Being an authentic leader doesn’t mean being perfect.
It means being reliable for real, without theatre.
It means knowing that power is not in distance, but in connection.