Ep: 018 Why Faking It Never Makes It in Leadership

0:00What's going on bridge builders and welcome to another hard hitting episode of bread to lead. I'm your host, Dr. Jake Taylor Jacobs, and today we're diving into a topic that is as uncomfortable as it is crucial. Why faking it never makes it in leadership. Before we dive in, let me remind our new listeners, by trade, I'm a corporate fixer. When organizations are on the brink of collapse, I'm the one they call to turn things around. I've seen the good, the bad, and the ugly of leadership. And today, we're going to confront some hard truths about the perils of pretending in leadership.

1:11In my years as a corporate fixer, I've encountered a phenomenon that's as common as it is destructive. Leaders who are living a lie. They're padding resumes. Writing empty press releases. and jumping from opportunity to opportunity, hospital to hospital, company to company, all in an attempt to maintain an illusion of success. But here's the cold hard truth. Eventually, the facade crumbles and reality comes crashing down. Let's start with the stark reality check. There comes a point where pretending has to stop. you can fake success for a while you can pad your resume write flowery press releases about your innovative solutions or your groundbreaking strategies you can hop from one business to another one organization to the next always chasing the next shiny opportunity but here's the thing your reputation it will catch up with you i've seen it happen time and time again.

2:28A leader comes into an organization full of grand promises and impressive credentials. They talk a big game about transforming the company, revolutionizing the industry. But when it comes time to deliver.

2:46Crickets or worse, disaster.

2:53Now let me share a story from my own experience. A few years back, I was called in to turn around a tech startup. The CEO had an impressive resume, Ivy League education, stints at big name tech companies, Glowing recommendations But within weeks it became clear that something was off This CEO talked a good game in the board meetings Throwing around buzzwords and making bold predictions But when it came to the day-to-day operations of the company He was lost He couldn't explain the basics of the company's technology He had no real understanding of the healthcare market His strategic vision was nothing more than a collection of cliches lifted from business books.

3:51And it turns out much of his resume was exaggerated or outright fabricated. Those glowing recommendations from friends he asked to pose as former colleagues, the prestigious positions at big tech companies, greatly inflated titles for what were essentially internships. The company was burning through cash, morale was at rock bottom, and we were months away from total collapse. All because someone decided that pretending to be a leader was easier than doing the hard work of actually becoming one. This isn't just a problem for the pretenders themselves. It's a cancer that eats away at the entire organization.

4:38When leaders fake it, they create a culture of dishonesty. They set impossible standards based on their inflated claims leading to burnout or disillusionment across their teams. They make decisions based on maintaining their facade rather than on what's best for the company. But here's the thing. You can lie to the world. But you can't lie to yourself forever. When you go home broken and exhausted from living a lie, the truth is undeniable. I've seen leaders break down in their offices, the weight of their deception finally becoming too much to bear. Eventually. You'll face a choice. Become who you've been pretending to be.

5:30Or get exposed for who you never were. And let me tell you, that exposure is brutal. I've seen careers ended, reputations destroyed, and lives appended when the truth comes out. So why does faking it never make it in leadership? Let's break it down. If you're new to the podcast, this is more of a pod class. The intention of this podcast, Bread to Lead, is to not only teach you from experience, but to give you actionable items that you can take to kind of work on getting yourself in the position to become the transformative bridge building leader, the guy that called you to become. So when I give points, I'm going to tell you to write things down.

6:24I used to be a teacher. it's because I want you to actually take note and write it down. Because what good is listening to something that can change your life and become a great leader if you're not taking it with you to go and implement in your organization or in your life? So write these five things down. The first one is trust is the foundation of leadership. Leadership is fundamentally about influence and influence is built on trust. When you're faking it, you're constantly on edge, worried about being exposed. This anxiety comes through in your interactions. Eroding trust with your team, peers and superiors.

7:17It's number two why faking it in leadership doesn't work. competence matters in the long run results matter more than rhetoric you might be able to bluff your way through a board meeting or two or a couple of calls a couple of uh a one-on-one off situations but eventually the lack of real skills and knowledge for the position that you're holding will become apparent and in health care where lives are actually literally at stake this incompetence can have dire consequences. The third reason why faking it doesn't work in leadership is because authentic leaders inspire people. People are inspired by authenticity, not perfection.

8:14When you pretend to have all the answers, you create a distance between yourself and your team. But when you're honest about your challenges, your vulnerabilities, what you know and what you do not know, you create connection and inspire others to bring their whole selves to work.

8:33The fourth reason why faking it. Doesn't work in leadership. Faking it actually stunts your growth. when you're busy maintaining a facade you're not focusing on actual growth and development you miss out on the learning opportunities because you're too afraid to admit what you do not know we'll talk about these things a little later and the fifth reason why faking it doesn't work in leadership and then we'll go to a commercial break The truth always comes out.

9:16Always. In today's interconnected world is harder than ever to maintain a lie. Social media, professional networks and the rapid flow of information means that inconsistencies in your story are more likely to be spotted. and exposed. People will say, oh, they said this, but there's a video when they said that. When it comes to your authentic story, who you are, how you came up, where you come from, the things you've learned, the truth doesn't need variations to saying the same thing. So through time, people will begin to see your true capabilities. The unfortunate thing is when that happens, sometimes.

10:10There's no return. We'll go to commercial break. Pod break, pod break. As we discuss the importance of authentic leadership, it's crucial to have the right resources at your fingertips. That's where my book, Bread to Lead, comes in. This essential guide for healthcare leaders dives deep into the principles of authentic leadership, providing you with practical strategies to navigate your leadership journey with integrity. Available now on Amazon and in major bookstores. Don't just read. Don't just lead. Be bred to lead authentically. Welcome back from the podcast break. Listen again. Go and get that book, Bred to Lead.

10:54It's my newest book and it's building on the concept that people are the epicenter of leadership. It actually takes me to my favorite scripture. And in my favorite scripture, it states that the greatest among you shall be your servant. What does this mean? That servanthood and leadership is leadership. And then those that exalt themselves will typically be humbled with truth. And those who are. Humble in themselves in their truth will be exalted. On every platform, it works the same way. If I'm always trying to tell people. All the stuff I can do and not spending the time doing the work. eventually people will be like hey you got a lot of great ideas of what can happen but i haven't really seen any execution and the first thing a lot of leaders typically like to do because it's the easiest win to success is cut expenses oh yeah we're spending too much because if we can get the profits to show better just by cutting expenses but we're not realizing that we're cutting major departments.

12:17We're cutting the lifeline of our brand. Cutting expenses just doesn't cut it. And eventually people will see the result of that. So faking it doesn't work. What's the alternative? It's very simple, but it's not easy. Do the work. Become the leader you've been pretending to be. Here's how. Write these seven points down. One, start with an honest self-assessment. By taking a hard look at yourself. What are your real skills? What are your actual accomplishments? What are your gaps? This isn't about beating yourself up. It's about getting a clear picture of where you are so you can chart a path to where you want to be.

13:21Number two, continuous learning. Once you are honest with yourself, you can identify your gaps. Commit to feeling them. Take courses, read books, find mentors. If you've been pretending to understand finance, actually learn finance. If you've been bluffing your way through technology discussions, take the time to understand the tech.

13:53Number three. Embrace failure. One of the reasons people pretend is because they're afraid to fail. But failure is a part of it. It's an essential part of growth. Start small. Take on projects where you can afford to fail. Learn from those failures. Build your resilience. I'll tell people any day.

14:21what made me become who I am today was when I made a terrible business decision that cost us four million dollars cash having to take my company from such a hard hit and turn it around on bare bones and get us back to an area where we're healthy. Let me know that I had what it took. And it also showed me failure isn't bad when your eyes are open to learn from the mistakes.

15:03Failure is not bad when your eyes are open to learn from the mistakes. How do you know if you're good at what you do? What can you compare it to if you never put yourself in positions to fail? Now, Dr. Jake, what do you mean put yourself in positions to fail? It's very simple. The people that change organizations and industries, we push against the line because change doesn't happen until someone has the gall to actually step over the line. And I'm not scared to step over the line because I'm not embarrassed about falling down. Why? Because with every time I fail or I fall, I learn better ways to stand.

16:03I remember as a kid, I used to play on a video game.

16:11Tomb Raider was one of those games. It was just so hard on certain levels. I didn't know what to do. I kept failing. I kept failing. I kept failing at the level, but I wasn't failing in the same positions. I was getting better. It just was a lot of failures on different levels. So I looked up the Tomb Raider manual. At the time, you can actually call in to Tomb Raider and ask them, hey, I'm stuck on this level. What am I supposed to do to fix it? They tell me give me guidance advise me on what exactly i'm supposed to do and where i'm supposed to stand And then guess what? Never again at that level did I fail And that taught me very quickly at a young age If i'm scared to fail i'm scared to get better But if i'm okay with embracing failure for the betterment of who I am in my career I'm, never going to fail at that mistake again It's very important Some of our best lessons comes from our best failures Number four, seek feedback regularly.

17:13Ask for honest feedback from your team or your peers. And your superiors. And here's the crucial part. Actually listen. Use it to guide your development. Because truth hurts. It only hurts long. if you're not willing to embrace the fine truth and what people are saying. I talk to organizations. I say, we need to believe the complaints.

17:51My grandmother used to say, if one person said it, they could be lying. If two people said it, they could be conspiring. If three people said it, it's the absolute fact. Especially when they don't know each other.

18:09So when more than one person is saying the same thing about you. It's time to look in the mirror and say, like Michael Jackson. I'm starting with the man in the mirror. You got to start with you. And be open to that information. Because that feedback will definitely help you get to where you need to be. Number five. practice authenticity start being honest about what you know and what you don't know and it's okay to say i don't know but i will find out people respect honesty far more than bluster Number six, set realistic goals instead of making grandiose promises. Set achievable goals. Then work your tail off to exceed them.

19:06Build a track record of winning. Build a track record of under-promising over-delivering. Build a track record of being a man or woman of your word. That's what brings truth. That's what brings trust. that's what makes the top leaders want to come work with you and stay with you regardless of if the pay is enough or not i remember in basketball in college

19:46i was trying all the ways to score the ball and i was having a hard time scoring. I was in a little bit of a slump. Our shooting coach came to me and said, TJ? I said, yes, sir. He said, Jacobs? I said, yes, sir. He said, do you know why you're in a shooting slump? I said, no, sir. He said, it's because you're trying to do too much. you're trying to make all the fantastic plays and the hard shots you're making the game too hard start by the easy shots the layups get into the free throw line get yourself in the groove see the ball go in the hole it builds your confidence to make the hard shots so when i made that quick fix i went on an eight nine game spree 30 points a game then i started feeling myself and guess what i did again start doing all these grandiose plays and shooting it went down in the flow ups and down all over and i say that to say when i come into an organization i'm looking at the small goals first people will say i brought you into the organization to change the entire organizational department, then I say, if I change this at 5%, and I fix this to increase at 5%, and if I fix this to increase at 5%, if I increase this to increase at 5%, four times five is 20 % increase in efficiency.

21:25Increase in efficiency means increase in profitability. Increase in profitability means lack less mistakes that are happening. Less mistakes that are happening means that there are less patients being affected. Less patients being affected means that now the surgeons look good. The hospital looks good and no unless in lawsuits. When you start to realize that small goals make the big goals, you will start making more small ones. So versus looking at changing something completely, look at it from a. Ant's level, not a bird's level, I create the vision from the bird's level. I create the game plan from an ants level, from bottom up, not top down.

22:05And lastly, number seven, focus on value creation. When you shift your focus from self-promotion to value creation,

22:20it changes how you can genuinely help your team, your organization, or even your customers. When you create real value, you don't need to fake success. It comes natural.

22:37But let me be clear. This journey isn't easy. It's much harder than pretending. It requires humility, hard work. And courage to be vulnerable. But the rewards are immense and humility does not mean you're lowering yourself because of your lack of being great. Humility says I don't have to show for you who I am because my work speaks for me. When you do the work to become a genuine leader. You build real confidence. Not the fragile ego of a pretender. but the solid assurance of someone who knows their worth. You earn the respect and the trust of your team. You create a culture of authenticity and growth.

23:36And here's the beautiful irony. When you stop trying to impress everyone, when you focus on genuine growth and value creation, that's when you become truly impressive. Take you to our next break. Guess who's back? Guess who's back? Guess who's back? Bridge builders. We know that staffing challenges can often tempt leaders to cut corners or make promises they can't keep. At Sips Healthcare, we offer high quality, reliable staffing solutions for perioperative service lines. Let us handle your temporary staffing needs so you can focus on what matters most, developing yourself and your team with integrity.

24:20Contact us today to learn how we can support your staffing needs while you build your authentic leadership capacity. Welcome back. I've. I've never I've seen.

24:37The good type of transformation happen. Remember the tech startup I mentioned earlier. After we oust the pretender CEO. I actually wrote a book entitled, you're not a CEO yet. And it was off the building of this person and even my life walk of transitioning into an executive. So once we put out the pretending CEO and promoted the mid-level manager to the role, this person was the opposite of the former CEO, humble, grateful, hardworking, and brutally honest about the company's challenges. She didn't make grand promises. Instead, she rolled up her sleeves and got to work. She spent time understanding every aspect of the business.

25:37She was upfront with board about company's problems, but also clear about her plan to address them. She invested in her team's development and created a culture of continuous learning. It wasn't easy. There were setbacks and failures along the way. But she faced them head on, learned from them and kept pushing forward. Two years later, the company had not only survived. But it's thriving. They had a product that actually worked. happy customers and a team that was engaged and passionate about their mission. That's the power of authentic leadership. That's what happens when you stop pretending and you start becoming.

26:28So here's my challenge to you bridge builders. No more lying to yourself. No more faking it till you make it. Do the work and build the real you. It's time to take off the mask. It's time to stop running from opportunity to opportunity, hoping your past won't catch up with you. It's time to stand still, face the truth and do the work. And become the leader you've been pretending to be. Remember, true success. Authentic success. isn't about appearances. It's about impact. It's about the value you create, the people you develop, the positive change you bring to your organization in the world. You have it in you to be a great leader.

27:26Not a pretend great leader, but a real one. It's time to let that leader, the real leader, the one that's bred to lead your authentic self, your bread to lead. Let that person emerge and told me and tell me

27:51what the difference is in your organization. Thank you for tuning in to another episode of bread to lead. Don't forget to subscribe to our podcast to ensure you never miss an episode. and for those bridge builders ready to embrace authentic leadership, check out our Next Step Leadership program at Sips Healthcare. It's time to invest in your future and become the genuine leader your organization needs. Wait, before you go, let's shine a spotlight on our partners at Asenco. Asenco is revolutionizing surgical asset management with their innovative sonar system. As the first surgical asset management platform built for operational efficiency and quality across every department, Ascenco is helping health care organizations optimize their surgical operations with transparency and integrity.

28:44Visit Ascenco, A-S-C-E-N-D-C-O dot com to learn how sonar can transform your surgical asset management. Until later. Peace. And as my son will say, follow our podcast, share it to other leaders or aspiring leaders, and always remember that I love you. There's absolutely nothing you can do about it. Peace, Bridge Builders. See you next week.