Why Self-Auditing Builds Trust and Authenticity

Earlier in my career, I made the mistake of wanting people to think I knew more than I did. I was young and in leadership roles I didn’t always feel ready for. I was scared people would think I wasn't credible or wouldn't respect me if I didn't "know everything," made mistakes, or asked for help. While "fake it ‘til you make it” opened some doors, it also made made me miss out on being relatable, helping people, and sharing my story. Examples of things I kept to myself and navigated alone: - The growing pains and incredibly rewarding moments of being a first-time manager - Developing the confidence to disagree with senior stakeholders to protect my team's bandwidth or drive a strategy forward - Learning to own my mistakes instead of pretending I never make them - Shifting focus from my success to my team’s success Vulnerability isn’t a weakness and it doesn't damage your credibility. It builds it. And that's a lesson I wish I'd learned sooner. Instead of trying to look like you have all the answers, share the questions you’re wrestling with, the mistakes you’ve made, and the things you’re still learning. That’s what I’m trying to do now. And it does two things: 1. It invites support. People can only help you if they know what you’re going through. 2. It creates connection. When you open up, others see themselves in your story and trust is built. If you're holding back because you're afraid to look inexperienced or “less credible,” ask yourself: what’s one thing I’m navigating right now that someone else might relate to or benefit from hearing about? Share that. Because people don’t connect with the version of you that never struggles. They connect with the version of you that’s real enough to admit you do.

With 61% of consumers saying that businesses actually make their lives harder, consumer skepticism directly hits your bottom line. To weather the storm, companies like Patagonia and Southwest use authenticity checkpoints to screen growth initiatives against core values. Rather than check-the-box exercises, these filters preserve the reasons that your customers choose you. The payoff? Organizations maintaining trust during growth can turn a 5% increase in retention into a 25-95% revenue boost. I recently worked with a client facing the classic warning signs: rising CAC, slipping conversion rates, and increasing pricing pressure. Despite this, they were hitting growth targets. So what was wrong? Their customers were losing faith in them. My client was not alone. Qualtrics research shows only 50% of consumers have confidence in the brands they do business with—a metric that hasn't improved since 2020 despite massive CX investments. My client realized it was a P&L emergency. Trust erosion is a vicious cycle that directly impacts unit economics through higher acquisition costs, shorter customer lifecycles, and vanishing price premiums. A small number of aggressive tactics had tarnished the credibility that made my client's growth trajectory possible. So they decided to create authenticity checkpoints—systematic filters that evaluate growth initiatives against core values. With hard work, their ACVs are rising, their clients advocate for them, and their CAC has stabilized. What makes effective authenticity checkpoints? Five critical elements: - Decision filters to evaluate initiatives against founding principles - Product validation processes that preserve core differentiation - Regular operational reviews to ensure a consistent customer experience - Values reinforcement for team members, beyond onboard - Structured forums to identify and address emerging vulnerabilities Implementing these checkpoints starts with three simple steps: audit your recent growth initiatives for authenticity impact, map your specific vulnerability points, and create accountability with dedicated resources and metrics. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/eJbTcVMa __________ For more on growth and building trust, check out my previous posts. Join me on my journey, and let's build a more trustworthy world together. Christine Alemany #Fintech #Strategy #Growth

I’ve watched founders try every personal branding strategy in the book. But what really works? Letting their guard down. Not the polished LinkedIn posts. Not the humble brags. Just showing up as an actual human being with real struggles, doubts, and messy progress. But most founders think it’s “too risky” to work. After working with founders through authentic personal branding and seeing the results… I’m convinced vulnerability is the highest-impact strategy most founders are avoiding. Here’s why dropping the facade changes everything: [1] It breaks through the noise While everyone else posts generic “hustle harder” content, your honest take on failure cuts through instantly. Authenticity is so rare in founder content that it immediately stands out in the AI noise [2] It builds unshakeable trust When you admit you don’t have all the answers, people actually believe you when you share what’s working. Vulnerability creates psychological safety that turns followers into advocates. [3] It attracts your actual ideal clients The founders willing to work with you aren’t looking for perfection, they’re looking for results and honesty. Pretending everything is smooth sailing attracts tire-kickers, not serious buyers. [4] It creates magnetic connection People don’t relate to your wins. They relate to your struggles. That relatability transforms casual followers into genuine champions of your work. [5] It unlocks referral goldmines When people feel connected to your story, they naturally want to help you succeed. Those authentic relationships generate more warm introductions than any networking event ever will. [6] It positions you as refreshingly real In a sea of “crushing it” posts, being honest about the hard parts makes you memorable. That differentiation alone is worth more than perfect branding. [7] It compounds into authority Consistent vulnerability builds a reputation for authenticity that can’t be faked or copied. People start coming to you specifically because they know you’ll tell them the truth. The more human you appear, the more professional opportunities you attract. What’s the biggest mindset shift that’s transformed how you show up in your business?

In our analysis of good #leadership we spend a huge amount of time analysing how we should behave towards others, yet when it comes to looking at self leadership and what is required we are much more reticent And yet, if we accept that one of the entrance tickets for those who aspire to inspire others is authenticity, then we would do everyone a great service by reviewing that balance and ensuring we understand ourselves and how we operate far more effectively than we do today This is because authenticity starts from you putting your own house in order. If you truly believe you have the right to ask others to do certain things, then we cannot apply double standards and believe that we can operate differently. Peope will never accept the “Say one thing, do another” approach -they see very quickly through such behaviour and disengage from it So anybody who wants to lead must start with themselves and be clear on the stds and approach they want to live by before attempting to raise the bar for others And - just as we ask others to try and get better everyday -we must challenge ourselves to do the same. It is impossible to ask others to embrace a growth mindset if you are not embracing that challenge yourself In the analysis of ourselves and self improvement, we must cover 10 distinct areas of personal performance. As a #leader irrespective of anybody else you must - Set you own personal work stds - Understand and live your values - Be clear on your core purpose for leading - Maintain a good work/life balance - Operate with rythm and cadence in your life - Have developed your own coping strategies - Be clear on your own skills development needs - Develop your own key support and #growth network - Ensure you are clear on how and when you reflect - Develop your own mindfulness being present and attentive For a whole host of reasons a plan around each aspect of the above is important, not least of which being your own development as a human being But, as a leader, by far and away the greatest reason this matters is the affect on the circle of influence of those around you. If colleagues can see a leader genuinely attempting to lead themselves, not in and ego centric fashion but with an approach based on self development then the impact is huge It ignites the flame of respect that drives the engine of the belief of authenticity in a leader. When this happens trust and commitment levels rapidly escalate. It also importantly gives others the mandate to operate in the same way themselves -the shadow of the leader in the context of self leadership is one that sits indeed long. If those around you can see the importance of the key qualities of reflection and mindfulness they will start to deploy them within their own days Ultimately, leadership is about others and how we inspire people to want to go to a better place tomorrow than they were at today. Unless you inspire yourself, you cannot expect others to join you

Our team starts off every week with a Monday team meeting where the first thing we do is talk about our failures from the previous week... What I discovered a long time ago is that if you want to be a successful and authentic leader, you can't hide behind the varnish of "perfection." The most successful leaders -- those who inspire their people to greatness -- have all figured out that showing up honestly and authentically is a superpower that helps them build deep trust across their teams. All too often I encounter senior-level people who think that they can't be themselves in front of their people. That they can't ever show weakness and have to hide their failures. Here's the thing...you're not hiding it. Your people see you for who you really are, whether you realize it or not. When you try to hide your flaws or failures, they see that too. And that's where trust is lost. Here are three simple things you can start doing right now to show up more authentically and inspire greater trust with your team: 1. Be the first to admit when you fail. Whether in the big things or the small things, own your crap, and tell your people when you mess up. 2. When one of your people comes to you (probably in fear) to admit where they've failed, respond in humility and with compassion. I've also found that taking that opportunity to tell them about one of your previous failures helps to make them feel better in the moment and reminds them that everyone fails. 3. Admit when you don't know something, and encourage others to help you learn and grow by sharing their wisdom with you.

Most leaders aren’t destroyed by others. They’re destroyed by themselves. Here is why? They think success is about being strategically brilliant... or experts in their field... And then they fail due to missing self-awareness. Years ago, I worked with a strong executive. Sharp mind. Strong resume. Great results on paper. But his team didn’t trust him. They gave minimal input. They avoided him in meetings. He thought it was all about them - laziness, lack of ambition, wrong culture fit. He couldn’t see that the problem was him, with his dismissive, reactive, and self-centered behaviour. That's when I saw how easily success blinds us. How quickly ego blocks awareness. And how fast people stop telling you the truth when you rise. My learning until today: Self-awareness is the foundation of leadership. Without it, every other skill is wasted. Here are 10 principles to build it daily: 1️⃣ Ask for brutal feedback Don’t fish for praise, invite truth. Growth begins where comfort ends. 2️⃣ Watch your impact, not just intent Good intentions can still hurt. Measure how others experience you. 3️⃣ Listen beyond words What’s unsaid is often more important. Pay attention to body language and silence. 4️⃣ Spot your triggers Stress exposes blind spots. Know what sets you off before it controls you. 5️⃣ Separate ego from role You are not your title. People follow authenticity, not hierarchy. 6️⃣ Reflect daily 5 minutes of honest reflection beats 5 hours of excuses. Ask: “How did I show up today?” 7️⃣ Own mistakes fast Excuses destroy trust. Admission builds it. 8️⃣ Notice recurring feedback If three people tell you the same thing - it’s not coincidence. It’s your blind spot showing. 9️⃣ Test your assumptions “I think they’re fine” is not a fact. Validate before acting. 🔟 Grow with humility Leaders who think they’ve arrived stop learning. Stay curious, stay open. When leaders master self-awareness, people stop working for you and start working with you. Because self-awareness builds trust - and trust builds everything else. Remember: You can’t lead others if you can’t lead yourself. The mirror is the hardest tool in leadership. Self-awareness isn’t soft. It’s the sharpest edge you can have. ‐---‐------------------------------- Follow me for more insights.