DR. MICHAEL GERHARZ
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Posts in Tag: the game

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.

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!

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