Authenticity in Action: How I Practice Authenticity in Leadership

If you’ve been following me on Instagram lately, you’ve probably noticed more Pilates videos than consulting tips. Recently, someone even asked me, “Did you stop posting about work?”

The truth? My Pilates videos are work content.

Not because I’m shifting into fitness or wellness coaching, but because my commitment to healing, to showing up for myself, is part of how I lead, how I serve, and how I stay aligned with my purpose. Authenticity isn’t just something I talk about. It’s something I practice. This is authenticity in action.

Why Healing Matters in Leadership

I’ve spent years working with leaders, especially those from marginalized communities, who are doing heavy, transformational work: advocating for equity, holding space for others, challenging harmful systems. We are often taught that leadership is about sacrifice, about pushing through, about putting the mission before the body, the heart, the self.

But what I’ve learned, through both my clients and my own journey, is this:We cannot lead others if we’ve abandoned ourselves.Healing is not a detour from leadership. It’s the foundation of it.

When we neglect our healing, we replicate harm often unintentionally. We lead from exhaustion, resentment, fear. When we invest in healing, we reclaim agency over how we show up: with clarity, compassion, and courage.

Pilates as an Act of Authentic Leadership

Showing up for myself, on and off the reformer. This is authenticity in action, alignment, consistency, and joy in motion

For me, Pilates is more than exercise. It’s where I practice presence. It’s where I remember I have a body, not just a brain. It’s where I meet myself with consistency, patience, and grace the same muscles required to lead teams, guide organizations, and create spaces for others to thrive.

It’s also how I’m practicing authenticity. I cannot say I value reflection and alignment without giving myself spaces to reflect and align. Posting my Pilates videos is a form of accountability to myself, but also to those who follow me for leadership grounded in truth, not performance.

Showing up for yourself is part of leadership. It requires action. It’s not just something we talk about in theory; it’s something we have to live, imperfectly and consistently.

This is the same work I do with my clients: helping individuals and organizations align their output with their values. The parallels aren’t accidental. Whether it’s a leader setting boundaries or a team restructuring policies, we can’t say we value something without building systems big or small to live it out. This is authenticity in action.

Rethinking What Counts as “Work”

Too often, we compartmentalize our healing from our work. We think showing up in a meeting polished and prepared is leadership, but showing up for ourselves through movement, through reflection, through boundaries is somehow personal and separate.

It’s not. Rest, care, movement, and reflection are part of sustainable leadership. They are how we stay rooted in our values. They are how we build the capacity to keep doing the work in ways that honor our humanity.

So when someone asks if I’ve stopped posting about work, I smile.This is the work. This is what authenticity in action looks like for me now.

Authenticity in Action Is Leadership in Action

Authenticity isn’t a strategy or a talking point. It’s how I choose to lead my life. It’s how I choose to lead my business. It’s how I show up for my community.

When I’m on the reformer, I’m not escaping my work I’m preparing to lead with more clarity, more intention, and more heart.

 If you’re looking for a place to start reconnecting with yourself, beyond the titles, roles, and expectations, my Elevating My Authenticity conversation cards were designed for exactly this.

They offer reflection questions rooted in identity, values, and authenticity because healing isn’t separate from leadership. It’s part of the work.