So often, clients reach out to me and say:
We have a problem.
Our CEO—or our founder—is such an amazing speaker:
They’re powerful, they’re charismatic. And because of that, they do all the speaking.
They speak to clients.
They build relationships.
They inspire the team.
And the other leaders?
They defer. They think:
“I could never be like that.”
“I’m an introvert.”
“I’m too much of a subject matter expert.”
They don’t trust themselves, because they’re comparing themselves to someone else’s unique charisma.
When One Voice Becomes the Only Voice
But what happens when that CEO leaves? Or gets sick?
They can’t do every client pitch.
They can’t inspire every employee.
In fact, the charismatic leader becomes a huge risk to the organization—because everything revolves around them.
From Comparison to Confidence
So what do you do?
When organizations come to me with this problem, I say, “Let me work with the executive team—individually or in an executive cohort—without the charismatic leader.”
Let’s build their confidence from the inside out.
Let’s help them find their own voice.
Let’s find their personal connection to the work and its impact.
And the results are transformational.
These leaders free themselves from the burden of trying to sound like someone else, of trying to be someone else.
They become energized and uplifted by their own passion—not the founder’s story.
And as a result, they’re more confident.
More fulfilled.
More inspirational.
Which means they go on to:
- Inspire their teams,
- Build new client relationships, and
- Help the entire organization thrive.
So think about how you’re preparing your leaders to find their voice.
Are you putting your charismatic leader up on a pedestal?
Or are you building a staircase and guiding others to step into the spotlight?