In today’s workplace, the cost of leadership disconnect is staggering. Studies reveal that 76% of employees feel their leaders hide behind professional barriers, resulting in a $37 billion annual loss in productivity and engagement. When leaders prioritize formality over authenticity, employee engagement plummets by 32%, and more than half of departing employees cite poor leadership communication as their catalyst for leaving. This shows why the advice to maintain strict professionalism and distance is outdated—and dead wrong.
As an executive leadership coach who has coached thousands of CEOs and emerging leaders through transformative communication changes, I’ve seen firsthand how outdated advice continues to undermine organizational success. The traditional wisdom about maintaining professional distance isn’t just misguided – it’s actively harmful to modern leadership.
The Authenticity Advantage
When leaders hide behind corporate facades, they miss crucial opportunities for connection. Real influence comes from being genuinely present. I’ve watched transformation happen when executives drop the script and start having real conversations. Your vulnerability isn’t weakness – it’s your superpower.
The Trust Paradox
Contrary to conventional wisdom, maintaining rigid professional boundaries doesn’t build respect – it erodes trust. My most successful clients discovered that sharing appropriate challenges and lessons learned actually strengthened their leadership position. Teams respond to honesty, not perfection.
The Connection Currency
Today’s workforce craves authentic leadership. When you share your thinking process and invite dialogue, engagement soars. One CEO I coached saw team innovation increase by 45% simply by replacing monologues with meaningful conversations.
The Strategic Openness
There’s a difference between oversharing and strategic vulnerability. Share your rationale behind decisions, acknowledge uncertainties, and invite input. This builds psychological safety while maintaining clear direction.
The Human Element
Modern leadership requires emotional intelligence. Replace rehearsed corporate speak with genuine dialogue. Ask meaningful questions, listen actively, and respond authentically. Your humanity is your greatest leadership asset.
The key to exceptional leadership lies not in maintaining artificial barriers but in fostering genuine connections. When you embrace authentic communication, you create an environment where trust, innovation, and engagement naturally grows.
Lead from Within: True leadership power derives not from maintaining distance, but from creating genuine connections that inspire both hearts and minds.
#1 N A T I O N A L B E S T S E L L E R
The Leadership Gap
What Gets Between You and Your Greatness
After decades of coaching powerful executives around the world, Lolly Daskal has observed that leaders rise to their positions relying on a specific set of values and traits. But in time, every executive reaches a point when their performance suffers and failure persists. Very few understand why or how to prevent it.
Additional Reading you might enjoy:
- 4 Powerful Conversations that Will Boost Your Employee Engagement
- 7 Effective Communication Habits of the Most Successful People
- The Two Biggest Communication Mistakes A Leader Can Make
- 12 Stupid Things to Stop Saying to Your Team
- 5 Communication Strategies That Will Transform Your Leadership
- 4 Toxic Communication Styles To Avoid As a Leader
- 5 Verbal Communication Mistakes You Need To Correct Asap
Of Lolly’s many awards and accolades, Lolly was designated a Top-50 Leadership and Management Expert by Inc. magazine. Huffington Post honored Lolly with the title of The Most Inspiring Woman in the World. Her writing has appeared in HBR, Inc.com, Fast Company (Ask The Expert), Huffington Post, and Psychology Today, and others. Her newest book, The Leadership Gap: What Gets Between You and Your Greatness has become a national bestseller.