Leading Thoughts for October 23, 2025

IDEAS shared have the power to expand perspectives, change thinking, and move lives. Here are two ideas for the curious mind to engage with:

Jeffrey Pfeffer on authenticity:

“The last thing a leader needs to be at crucial moments is ‘authentic’—at least if authentic means being both in touch with and exhibiting their true feelings. In fact, being authentic is pretty much the opposite of what leaders must do. Leaders do not need to be true to themselves. Rather, leaders need to be true to what the situation and what those around them want and need from them.”

Source: Leadership BS: Fixing Workplaces and Careers One Truth at a Time

II.

Steven Goldbach and Geoff Tuff on getting behind the interpretation:

“People frequently speak to each other at the level of a conclusion rather than sharing the data or how they interpreted the data. As a result, when people disagree, they may be doing so simply because they aren’t looking at the foundational information that drew them to different conclusions. ”

Source: Provoke: How Leaders Shape the Future by Overcoming Fatal Human Flaws

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Look for these ideas every Thursday on the Leading Blog. Find more ideas on the LeadingThoughts index.

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