I remember when a client, former President of Coca-Cola, delivered a presentation to over 10,000 bottlers from all over the world. When he stepped on the stage in this mammoth arena, he took a calculated risk. He demanded the stage lights be turned off so that he could see his audience! Once the blinding lights came off, he began to recognize audience members and greet them individually, in front of this colossal crowd. In a manner of minutes, a large arena felt like a cozy living room, and his authenticity and connection made the presentation feel intimate. He developed the confidence to manage and control environments, and the audience connected instantly. There were no BlackBerries going.

I’ve witnessed that simply being authentic is going to do much more good than harm, and once you take strides to go back to that critical business value of trust, watch your employees respond with hope and determination.

…The previous entry is from an article I wrote for Forbes. Read the entire article here.