Mental Health Without the Bullsht – Entry #10

IMPORTANT NOTE: I am NOT a mental health professional. If you need help, I STRONGLY encourage you to seek it, and you can start here. This series of blog posts is me candidly sharing my deeply personal experiences with you (with some tears along the way).

Here’s the Lie We Were Sold

If you want to lead, you need to be bulletproof.
Always confident. Always composed. Always certain.
No cracks. No emotions. No doubts.

That’s not leadership. That’s acting.
And eventually, every performance burns out.

People Can Spot a Fake a Mile Away

You ever work for someone who pretends to have it all together 24/7?

They never admit mistakes.
Never show emotion.
Never ask for help.
Never say “I don’t know.”

You don’t trust them—you tolerate them.
Because deep down, you know it’s bullshit. And when the pressure hits the fan, they collapse or lash out.

Leaders who fake strength build cultures of fear, not trust.

Real Leaders Go First

If you want your team to be honest, show them what honesty looks like.
If you want people to ask for help, let them see you do it.
If you want to build trust, earn it by being real.

Vulnerability in leadership doesn’t mean crying in every meeting or oversharing your trauma.
It means:

• Owning your mistakes
• Naming your limits
• Admitting when you’re struggling
• Leading with truth instead of ego

That’s not weakness. That’s courage.

I’ve Led Both Ways

I’ve worn the mask.
I’ve played the tough guy CEO.
I’ve pretended I was fine when I wasn’t.
And it worked… for a while.

Until the weight got too heavy.
Until the cracks started showing.
Until the people closest to me said, “You’re not OK—and no one knows.”

So I changed.
And guess what?
I became a better leader the moment I stopped faking it.

What Vulnerable Leadership Actually Looks Like

It looks like this:

• Saying “I need time to process this.”
• Saying “I was wrong.”
• Saying “I’m not OK, but I’m working on it.”
• Saying “I don’t have all the answers, but I’m listening.”

And the ripple effect?
It gives your team permission to be honest.
It builds psychological safety.
It opens the door for real connection—not just performance.

Because vulnerability is contagious—and so is courage.

Final Thought

You don’t need to be perfect to lead.
You don’t need to hide your pain to earn respect.
You don’t need to pretend you’re not human.

In fact, the best leaders are the ones who show others it’s OK to be real.

So drop the armor.
Speak the truth.
Lead from the heart.
And watch what happens when people feel safe enough to do the same.