Permission to Be Weird: Why Authenticity Is a Leadership Superpower

Let’s get one thing straight: I’m not your typical leader.

I don’t roll into work with a blazer, crisp polo, or that weird leadership voice that sounds like it was generated by a LinkedIn algorithm. I show up in graphic t-shirts, shorts, and unapologetic honesty. My leadership style? A cocktail of sarcasm, real talk, and leading by example, even when the example involves saying, “Yep, I screwed that one up. Let’s fix it.”

And guess what? It works.

For years, corporate culture has pushed the idea that leadership needs to look a certain way, clean cut, buzzword fluent, emotionally distant, and professionally beige. But here's the truth they don’t tell you in management books: your team doesn’t need a mannequin in khakis. They need a human.

They need someone real.

Someone who’s not afraid to crack a joke, admit what they don’t know, and challenge the status quo with both courage and compassion. Someone who creates space for them to be their full selves because you showed up as your full self first.

I’ve built trust by not pretending to be perfect.
I’ve earned loyalty by saying “no” to pointless process worship.
I’ve grown leaders by refusing to gatekeep the hard stuff.

And all of that has come from showing up exactly as I am.

So to every leader out there who doesn’t fit the mold, this post is your permission slip.

You don’t need to look like a CEO to be respected.
You don’t need to speak in corporate riddles to be effective.
You don’t need to hide your personality to lead well.

In fact, the more you show up as yourself, the more your team will too. And that’s when the real magic happens, when people stop pretending and start connecting.

So wear the damn t-shirt.
Say the sarcastic thing (you know you want to).
Lead like you, not like some Pinterest version of a VP.

Because weird?
Weird is relatable.
Weird is refreshing.
Weird is a leadership superpower.

Lead. Don't Ctrl.