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Leading with clarity

The clearer the path, the less important the leader becomes.
Anyone can lead when the sun shines bright. But what about when it’s not?

In the fog, when you can barely see a step ahead, that’s when your leadership matters.

Not by pretending you know every turn or faking clarity that’s not really there. Your team doesn’t need false clarity. The fog is real. You can’t just make it disappear.

But you *can* show them how to move through it.
→ By staying clear on your values and vision.
→ By showing them how you make choices, even when the next step is uncertain.
→ And by giving them the confidence that, together, you’ll make it through.

This is the kind of clarity that guides them not only in clear weather, but also when it matters most: in the fog.

Keep lighting the path!

Unmasking Leadership: How to Lead Without the Tricks

Some leaders wear masks pretty much all the time.
They play the game of manipulation and trickery.
To them, it’s just how business works.

They don’t think there’s anything wrong with it.
In fact, they have many excuses to justify it.

Each of them sounds perfectly reasonable.
Until you care to look closer.

Here’s how to respond to their excuses and lead differently.

  1. “It’s just how the game is played.”

→ Leadership isn’t about playing games; it’s about changing them. The best leaders set a new standard — one worth following.

  1. “It works, doesn’t it?”

→ It works … until it doesn’t. Manipulation only holds as long as the mask stays on. Once it slips, trust is lost, and it’s nearly impossible to regain.

  1. “Everyone does it. I’m just better at it.”

→ Being better at playing a broken game doesn’t make you a leader—it makes you a better player of a broken game.
But once the game is exposed, the better you played, the worse it looks.

  1. “If I don’t do it, someone else will.”

→ Who cares what others might do? Let them do it. Winning doesn’t come from doing what they do. It comes from doing what they can’t.

  1. “I can’t afford to lose.”

→ Maybe you can’t afford to lose—but can you afford what it takes to win? When you rely on a mask, every win comes at a cost: the constant fear of being exposed.

  1. “I’m protecting my true self.”

→ You’re not protecting your true self—you’re protecting a weakness. The stronger play isn’t hiding—it’s building a foundation no one can break.

  1. “It’s for their own good.”

→ Leaders don’t decide what’s good for others; they inspire others to see it for themselves. Influence that lasts is built on trust, not control.

  1. “People don’t want the truth; they want a story.”

→ The best stories don’t hide the truth—they illuminate it.
If the truth isn’t enough, make it stronger—don’t cover it up. Telling the truth might take courage, but it’s how you earn trust that lasts (and get honesty in return).

Keep lighting the path.

More

With every word, it’s clear: they’re playing the game.
The more they say, the more confusion they create.

But they keep piling on more words.

What makes this so frustrating is that it is calculated. “Saying more” is a way of “playing the game”.

It’s meant to overwhelm.
Distract.
Hide the weakness of their argument behind layers of noise.

“Saying more” works because it throws you off balance. You can’t pin down the point because it keeps moving. You can’t counter the argument because you’re buried in words.

But you don’t have to play along. Stop the game and shine a light on the tactic.

Ask one clear question:
“What are you really trying to say?”

It’s a question “more” can’t outrun.

Don’t play along by saying more yourself,
demand less.

The moment you strip it down, the weakness becomes impossible to hide.

Less

Say less. Mean more.

(That’s it for today.)

The Challenger

In most larger organizations, the overwhelming impression is that ‘the game’ is the only path to success.

Communication tactics, office politics, manipulative strategies.

Everyone hates it. Yet everyone seems to play it.

Do you?

Now here’s the thing: It’s a self-fulfilling prophecy. The game only works because it’s the default.

It works because no one offers an alternative.

In other words, it works until someone shows up who leads with rigorous honesty, empathy, and trust … and succeeds because of it.

This someone could be you.

Defaults are meant to be challenged.

You don’t have to play along. You could be the one who proves that there’s a better way.

Will you?

Keep lighting the path!

Playing the game

Have you ever felt like success demands a compromise?
That to win in business, you have to play the game?

→ Cheesy marketing.
→ Political maneuvering.
→ Messages that feel anything but you.

It’s frustrating because that game feels wrong.

Yet, it also feels necessary.
After all, it’s how successful players play.
It is what works, isn’t it?

Well, kind of.
But then again: Not really.

Because most of the time …

The game doesn’t work because people are easily persuaded. It works (when it works) because no one has offered something better.

People don’t want to be persuaded.
They want to be understood.

It works because no one has taken the time to truly pay attention, listen carefully, and find the common ground.

Games are necessary when you feel you need to “turn them over”.

They are unnecessary when you align.

That’s why the best leaders don’t succeed through politics and playing games. They succeed thanks to clarity and empathy.

Keep lighting the path!

Believing in what you do

You deeply believe in what you do, but how can you find words that make others believe in it just as much?

On Jan 14th, I’m running a free online session to address this.

It’s called “The Leaders Light the Path Session” and here’s what we’ll cover:

→ How to make your story crystal clear.
→ Why the right words matter more than you think.
→ Simple strategies to inspire action and alignment.

Seats are limited to ensure a small group. But it’s easy to save you a spot. Just send me a DM.

We’ll meet on Jan 14th 11am Eastern / 5pm CET via Zoom

Keep lighting the path!

Radical listening

Real listening is radical.
It means “This moment isn’t about me.”

It means silencing your thoughts, your plans, your need to respond.

When was the last time someone listened that deeply to you? Like a gift you didn’t know you needed.

And when was the last time you offered it to someone else?

Keep lighting the path!

Influence

True influence begins where force ends.

Force creates counter-force.
Push and people instinctively push back.

What’s worse, when the force stops, the actions stops.

What’s even worse, you’ll never know whether people actually support your ideas.

That’s not really influence, is it?
It’s control.

Well, of course that’s precisely what some managers will find attractive. But if you’re reading this, it’s likely that you’re not one of them.

True influence is when people choose to support you. It’s the result of a voluntary shift in belief, behavior, or perspective.

It can happen when
→ you earn their trust so they’re willing to hear you out.
→ you create clarity so they can see it for themselves.
→ you speak to what matters so it resonates deeply.

And then … you step back.
You let them decide.

When they make the choice to act, not because you pushed them,
but because they believed it was the right thing to do …

That’s true influence.

Keep lighting the path!

Your Words Shape the Future

Every word you speak is a choice.
A choice that shapes the future.

It influences what happens in the next moment.
But it can also have lasting impact.

Words can connect or push away.
Build trust or exploit it.
Invite or close the door.

What future du you want your words to shape for someone else today?

Keep lighting the path!

Picture of Dr. Michael Gerharz

Dr. Michael Gerharz