Ever Feel Like You Come Across As "Too Friendly" For Your Own Good?

Hey Verbalizer,

You know that moment when you catch yourself...

Hardening your face before walking into the room.

Suppressing your natural warmth.

Trading your smile for what feels like "serious leadership presence."

I know it is a real thing because I have felt that and have had conversations about this with clients.

Abeg (Yes I am going all Nigerian on you 🤣🤣🤣)

I beg you to think about this one deeply and to decide how YOU want to show up!

You've probably learned to wear that mask of seriousness like armour and to trade your natural presence for what leadership "should" look like.

The truth is this:

🤩 Your warmth is not weakness.

🤩 Your kindness is not weakness.

🤩 Your smile doesn't diminish your authority.

Leadership doesn't demand that you disconnect from your heart.

What if …

Your smile is your strength?

Your warmth is actually your wisdom?

Your kindness is your superpower (check out my TEDx talk - The Kindness Manifesto)

Because real authority doesn't compete with authenticity… it complements it.

Please read this again.

And again!!!

You may struggle to believe this, but that is only because this is what society and so-called leadership has taught us and modelled for us.

You don't have to choose between being taken seriously and being genuinely you.

You don't have to trade your warmth for your worth.

You don't have to wear emotional armour to prove your excellence.

I remember embracing this mindset whilst facilitating a 'serious' leadership workshop and receiving feedback that was powerful.

Powerful because it was actually what was needed in that room.

Powerful because it was genuinely unapologetically me!

So yes - Permission granted:

To smile in serious meetings (appropriately of course 🤣).

To lead with both clarity AND kindness.

To trust that your natural presence is your power.

Because the world doesn't need more masks.

It needs more leaders who dare to be real.

So let me ask you:

What would shift in your leadership if you gave yourself permission to be both powerful AND warm?

Hit reply and let me know (I read every reply 😊)

Love, Laughter & Light,

‘Ronke

P.S. If this email resonated with you, I would love to hear your biggest takeaway.