The Art of Authenticity

7Relational Transparency and Honest Conversations

You can't manage a secret.

—Alan Mulally, former CEO, Ford Motor Company¹

While I have never denied my sexuality, I haven't publicly acknowledged it either, until now. So let me be clear: I'm proud to be gay, and I consider being gay among the greatest gifts God has given me. Being gay has given me a deeper understanding of what it means to be in the minority and provided a window into the challenges that people in other minority groups deal with every day. It's made me more empathetic, which has led to a richer life. It's been tough and uncomfortable at times, but it has given me the confidence to be myself, to follow my own path, and to rise above adversity and bigotry. It's also given me the skin of a rhinoceros, which often comes in handy when you are the CEO of Apple.

—Tim Cook, Apple CEO, to Bloomberg Business²

My client's eyes were tearing up as she declared, “I feel shell-shocked.” Barb had been recently promoted to the role of chief information officer in a division of a large financial services organization. Barb had progressed up the ladder through the years in the male-dominated world of financial services and information technology by working hard and inspiring loyalty from anyone and everyone who had ever worked for her. She never asked anyone to do anything she would not do herself. Barb was a Midwestern farm ...