You wear one to the grocery store. Another in meetings. A different one with family.
Not merely the cloth kind. The behavioral kind.
We’ve normalized putting on personas like we choose outfits. Professional you shows up at work—measured, diplomatic, strategic. Parent you emerges at home—nurturing, patient, protective. Social you appears at parties—witty, agreeable, entertaining.
But here’s what’s curious: we’ve become so skilled at code-switching that we’ve forgotten which version is actually us.
The executive who built a company on “authentic leadership” but hasn’t shared a genuine concern with their team in months. The parent teaching honesty while hiding their own struggles. The friend offering advice they don’t follow themselves.
Each mask serves a purpose. They protect us, help us fit in, keep things smooth.
Yet the energy required to maintain multiple versions of yourself is exhausting. And the further apart these versions drift, the more disconnected you become from what you actually believe.
The most powerful leaders aren’t those with the most convincing masks. They’re the ones who’ve figured out which parts of themselves deserve to show up everywhere.
Your values don’t change based on your audience. Your standards shouldn’t either.
The mask isn’t the problem—it’s when you can no longer remember what’s underneath it.
What masks do you wear, and what should we think of those who choose to hide behind them?
