Leading from Truth: Reclaiming Power Through Authentic Self-Expression

For so long, I wore what others expected of me. Corporate-safe blues. Shiny shoes. Hair that whispered, “I belong here.” But one day, I paused and asked: What if showing up as my full self was the most powerful leadership move I could make?

So I got the tattoos and let the art live out loud. I grew my locs, wore my earrings with pride — and if you know me, you already know about the glasses. These weren’t just about looking good. They were quiet, loud rebellions. Every one of them said: I’m not here to play by your rules.

I remember the moment it really hit me. I looked in the mirror and said out loud, I’m done living under everyone else’s expectations. That was the day I stopped dressing for the part and started dressing like the person I actually am.

I was cutting the chains. All the conditioning, all the codes, all the quiet compromises – I let them go. I needed to be Nyerere. Not the version built for approval. The real one. The more I showed up like that, the louder my voice got, and the more I became authentic within my leadership.

Each decision was a declaration. Not just to the world, but to myself. I choose myself. Not the expectations, codes, or unwritten rules. I stopped performing. I was ready to live my truth.

The Systems We Don’t Name and What the Mirror Reveals

For professionals, especially Black leaders, how we dress is never just about clothes. It’s code. It’s strategy and sometimes, it’s survival. We’re taught early that respectability is the currency to access power. Keep it neutral, quiet, safe.

But when I started rejecting that conditioning, people noticed. Some questioned the choices. Others stayed quiet, but I saw it in their eyes. And a few started questioning the limits they had set for themselves just by watching me choose something different.

Because here’s the thing: choosing yourself is never just about you. It becomes a signal, a blueprint, a quiet invitation to someone else asking: Could I do that too?

The Shift That Shook the Room

Every time I looked in the mirror, I wanted to see a man who was no longer auditioning for approval, which required more than new clothes. It required a new relationship with courage.

The shift shook people. I stopped waiting for permission. I trusted who I was, and I had the receipts to back it up. I was done dressing for comfort. I was ready to dress in alignment with who I am.

Visibility, for me, isn’t rebellion. It's a reclamation. It’s saying: I trust the truth of who I am more than I fear your reaction to it. When you do that, you don’t just take up space; you make space for others to do the same.

The Uncomfortable Truth

Meritocracy tells us we’ll be rewarded for what we do, but the truth is, we’re often judged for how well we perform someone else’s version of acceptability. Once you stop performing, the system doesn’t quite know what to do with you.

I want you to take a moment and ask yourself,

• What version of yourself have you been editing to fit someone else's comfort?

• How much of your leadership presence is about conformity instead of conviction?

• What parts of you are still waiting for permission to show up?

What parts of you are still waiting for permission to show up? Let me know in the comment section.

What Would Change If You Stopped Hiding?

Maybe for you, it’s not locs or tattoos. Maybe it’s saying no when your instinct says yes. Maybe it’s pitching the bold idea you’ve been sitting on. Or speaking up when silence feels safer.

Whatever it is, the moment you stop shrinking, the moment you stop dressing, or acting, for someone else, is the moment you reclaim your voice.

Are You Ready to Unlearn the Rules You’ve Outgrown?

Let’s talk. Drop a comment or schedule a complimentary Growtation where we’ll unpack what’s holding you back and explore what’s next.

Real growth doesn’t start with strategy. It starts with truth—and The Growfessor Spaces App is now live. Download now to begin unlearning, rewiring, and showing up whole.

If you're done performing and ready to lead from a deeper place, stay close. We made this just for you.