You know that feeling when you’re leading through a high-stakes moment, like a big presentation, a difficult conversation, a critical decision, and there’s this whole internal drama happening that nobody else can see? Your chest is tight, your inner critic is running commentary, and you’re working twice as hard to look calm on the outside as you are to actually do the work itself?

I’ve been wrestling with a slightly uncomfortable idea lately. After coaching leaders to “show up authentically” and “bring your whole self to work” (words I’ve probably uttered many times), I recently encountered research that challenges this well-worn mantra in ways I couldn’t ignore. Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic’s work on authenticity has forced me to reconsider what I thought I knew about effective leadership.

As the days grow shorter and darkness settles in earlier each afternoon, conventional wisdom might suggest we should power through with extra coffee and sheer determination. But successful leaders know that doesn’t work. They lean into the slowdown rather than fighting against it. Strategic rest (what some might call laziness) isn’t the opposite of productivity, it’s the foundation of sustainable high performance.

Picture this: You’re coaching a brilliant leader who keeps sabotaging their own success. Or you’re watching a new hire struggle in a role where their predecessor thrived. What’s really going on? It’s probably not what you think.