Four Top Executives Share Key Insights on Authentic Leadership

"They want somebody who feels more authentic, somebody who looks a little broken, somebody who's willing to... sit up here and say he's lived with imposter syndrome his whole life." - Julie Mada

In our previous blog, we shared what four exceptional Twin Cities executives had to say about navigating uncertainty during the recent “Next Generation Leadership” seminar, presented by Pioneer and Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal. At this dynamic event, local business professionals were able to learn from the collective wisdom of David MacLennan (Former CEO, Cargill), Julie Maday (CEO, Independent Pet Partners), Allison Gettings (CEO, Red Wing Shoe Company), and Phil McKoy (Enterprise Lead, Optum), with MSPBJ Publisher Whitney-Lehr Koening guiding the conversation. In case you missed it, be sure to read what they had to say about Leading Through The Unknown with a focus on values-based decision-making in turbulent times. 

Another key theme that emerged during this lively panel discussion was authenticity in leadership. Below are some of the takeaways on this important topic:  

Shifting Leadership Style Ideals 

The shiny ideal of the perfect corporate titan with a command-and-control approach may be falling out of favor. Instead, today’s employees prefer leaders who exhibit humility and transparency.  

Julie Maday, CEO of Independent Pet Partners, described how the face of modern leadership is changing. “It doesn't look like somebody who's standing on a stage delivering the perfect speech anymore—it looks like somebody who can be in the trenches with their team, figuring things out,” Maday asserted.  

According to Maday, “They want somebody who feels more authentic, somebody who looks a little broken, somebody who's willing to after having led an enormous company, sit up here and say he's lived with imposter syndrome his whole life.” She said people want to work for real humans, yet not everyone talks about why that is important. “Yes, it feels better, but it's also better for the business.” 

This view seems in line with current research. According to Deloitte’s 2024 Global Human Capital Trends report, an increasing focus on trust and transparency will have the greatest impact on an organization’s success over the next three years.¹ Additionally, 86% of leaders surveyed believe there is a very strong correlation between organizational transparency and workforce trust.²

Transparency Builds Trust

In his leadership roles at United Health Group, Phil McKoy has often found himself making very hard decisions along the way. Yet even when circumstances are difficult or painful, he stressed that honesty and transparency are paramount to building trust within an organization.  

For example, when faced with the reality of dramatically reducing headcount on his team over this past year—something no leader ever wants to do—McKoy made an early decision to lean into transparency during the process.   

“I just decided I was going to do is to be completely, totally honest and transparent and demonstrate empathy for the hard decisions that we were making… [about] what was coming, why we were making these decisions, and what the impact was.”  

Although McKoy wasn't always confident that this was the right approach, and some might say he over-shared in some cases, it seemed the only real way to keep his team engaged. “You have to have a team that trusts you, because it's a long journey… and you lose trust, like that, if you're not honest.” 

Vulnerability Strengthens Leadership 

As decision-makers whose choices can have large-scale impact, nearly all of the panelists expressed the value of vulnerability in their process.  

For example, Allison Gettings, CEO of Red Wing Shoe Company, described how the right advisors can help a leader overcome self-doubt by providing helpful feedback or just being a sounding board when wrestling with how to resolve a complex issue. 

Gettings recommended, “Find people who you can be super vulnerable with, who will be honest.” She added, “The honesty [might be], ‘Yes, this is the right decision” or “I don't agree with the decision, but you've made it, and keep going, don't waffle.’” 

According to DDI’s Global Leadership Forecast 2023, employees are 5.3 times more likely to trust leaders who regularly show vulnerability, and they are 7.5 times more likely to trust leaders who acknowledge their own failures and shortcomings.³

Vulnerability is nothing new to David MacLennan. Some of the seminar attendees may have been surprised to hear that he struggled with imposter syndrome nearly every day in his former role as CEO of Cargill. A few years ago, he had a conversation with another CEO who asked him if he ever wrestled with self-doubt. MacLennan responded, “I do have [thoughts like] ‘They’re gonna figure out that I’m a fraud or come in and yank me out of the chair,’ but you can’t let that feeling overwhelm you.” He later learned that his answer made a lasting impression on that leader, who probably found his candor refreshing and relatable. 

In summary, our distinguished panelists used their personal experiences to paint a powerful picture of authentic leadership. Being an authentic, transparent, and relatable leader is much harder than hiding behind a shiny corporate mask or opaque talking points. But for leaders who want to build trust and engagement across their organizations, the relentless pursuit of authenticity is worth the effort.

Pioneer Management Consulting is committed to developing future leaders. Stay tuned as we share additional content, photos, and highlights from this event. For information about future leadership seminars, panel discussions, and networking events, connect with us on LinkedIn or visit our website.