One of the most important things we can know, in today’s information-driven world, is that our intellect is NOT in charge – no matter how much knowledge we pump into it. The Hoffman Institute has shown through recent brain research that 90% of our responses are emotional. Ninety percent!  Add to that the fact that our emotions respond 400x faster than our brain, and you’ve got a recipe for success – or disaster – when it comes to human contact.

If you can make a practice of revealing yourself to the people in your life, then you can create a  deep connection with clients, team members, and valued colleagues – one that results in true intimacy, true leadership, emotional equity, meaning and fulfillment, and you never have to think about motivating people again. Why?  Because connection = trust. Being trusted and feeling connected is a core motivator.

And remember, building a highly successful organization while staying connected and true to ourselves, as human beings, is always the end game.  Without that, everything else will feel stark and empty. I have worked with some of the most successful people in the world, and believe me, success without knowing oneself, and without connection to oneself and the people in one’s life is MEANINGLESS – and, incidentally, UNSUSTAINABLE.

So why DON’T people experience themselves as true and real in their business and life?  Quite simply, they haven’t revealed themselves. They’ve stayed conveniently hidden rather than stand naked in the light of day.  Yes, revealing yourself is scary – but I’ll say it again – it’s the core of real success in life and business.

Your drive, your ambition – much of which comes from feeling that you are “not enough” as you are – can only take you so far. If you’re not careful, your drive can become destructive, depressing, and disillusioning. And even though it’s no longer working for you, you still cling to it – because you think it defines you, you think that ambition IS you. I know, because I’ve been there. I’ve been to burnout and back by serving my ambition instead of my soul.

It’s easy to make the mistake of protecting your drive above all else, even when your heart and gut know it’s no longer serving you. At some point you have to stop and wonder: When did you choose to stop revealing yourself? When did you stop looking inside? Was it an isolated incident when life smacked you down? Or when you were elevated high and thought showing your humanity might result in others taking advantage of you, or not taking you seriously?

It’s great if you can identify when and why you stopped being open enough to those around you, but either way you simply have to do it now – no matter how safe you feel being all locked up.  Taking a risk and making it a practice to reveal yourself to the people in your life is the only way you will truly get what you want. So how do you do this?

You decide to evolve as an executive.

You decide to buck the “hide who you are” trend that humanity has celebrated for centuries. You make a conscious choice. Look, evolution doesn’t happen overnight, but it is beneficial. In the case of evolving and revealing, practice does make perfect.  Practice my Mighty Formula for Executive Evolution. The ingredients to this formula? Reveal. Stand. Align.

Christine Comaford, Executive Coach
CEO of Mighty Ventures, Inc.
NY Times Best Selling Author

PS: Business Acceleration and a rockin’ coach are always the key. http://mightyventures.com/bai/