Only 3 out of 10 accomplished leaders raised their hands when asked if they were ready to report to the board.

Last week in Jeddah, I worked with 10 accomplished leaders. I asked a simple question: How many of you believe you are ready to report to the board?

Only 3 hands went up.

These were Directors, Chiefs, VP's and Business Unit Heads with 10-20 years experience.

 After 4 groups, 32 out of 40 were not ready to report to the highest level. They were all excellent technically in their own field, so the problem was not their skill or ability. It's something much more dangerous.

 The Voices in Our Heads

You know those voices, don't you?

The ones that whisper when you're about to speak up: "That's not your area."

The ones that make you second-guess bold ideas: "Who are you to suggest that?"

The ones that keep you playing small: "Just do your job and don't rock the boat."

I call them invisible scripts. And they're killing the leader inside you.

Smart, talented leaders but secretly destroy their career .

 They don't stay stuck because they lack ability. They stay stuck because they've been programmed to follow rules that sound professional but secretly destroy their power.

The 15 Rules That Are Killing Your Leadership

Rule 1: Stay in your lane

 The voice says: You handle technical stuff leave strategy to the real leader.

The reality: Every business problem is a people problem. You hold the keys to everything that matters.

Rule 2: Let policies speak for themselves

The voice says: "The handbook has all the answers."

The reality: Policies are tools. You are the craftsperson. Stop letting the tool do the talking.

Rule 3: Always be the compliance keeper

The voice says: "Your job is to make sure no one breaks the rules." The reality: Great leaders know when to bend rules to serve the humans they're meant to protect.

Rule 4: Leadership means managing more people

The voice says: "Get promoted. Get a bigger team. That's success." The reality: True leadership is about depth of influence, not span of control.

Rule 5: Dont challenge senior leadership

The voice says: "Your job is to support their decisions, not question them." The reality: Senior leaders need someone brave enough to tell them what no one else will say.

Rule 6: Keep emotions out of business

The voice says: "Professional means cold. Logical. Detached." The reality: Your ability to understand what people really need is your greatest strength.

Rule 7: Wait for leadership development programs

The voice says: "Someone else will teach you how to be a leader." The reality: Leadership isn't learned in classrooms. It's practiced in real life, with real decisions.

Rule 8: Beware of company politics

The voice says: "Don't take sides. Stay diplomatic." The reality: When you stand for nothing, you fall for everything. Neutrality isn't leadership.

Rule 9: Don't share your personal story

The voice says: "Keep it professional. No one cares about your background." The reality: People don't follow policies. They follow people. And people connect with stories.

Rule 10: Focus only on employee satisfaction scores

The voice says: "If the engagement survey looks good, you're doing good work." The reality: Your real job is helping people become better versions of themselves.

Rule 11: Leadership readiness requires more credentials

The voice says: "Get another certificate. Then maybe you'll be ready."The reality: Personal presence, insight into what makes people tick and transparent communication is far more important

Rule 12: Keep cultural differences surface-level

The voice says: "Cultural awareness means knowing holidays and food preferences." The reality: Real cultural agility is understanding the deeper currents that drive human behavior.

Rule 13: Don't question how were always done it

The voice says: "Respect tradition. Don't be the troublemaker." The reality: The most loyal thing you can do is help your organization evolve.

Rule 14: Success means zero complaints

The voice says: "Good Leader means no one brings problems to your office." The reality: The best  leaders have teams who believe (people) problems can be solved.

Rule 15: Leadership development is for others

The voice says: "Your job is developing other leaders, not yourself." The reality: You cannot give what you do not have. You cannot lead others to places you've never been.

The Breakthrough Moment

Back in that Jeddah workshop, after we went through these rules, something shifted.

One participant said, "I've been waiting for permission to be the leader I already am."

Another realized, "I've been making myself small to allow others to feel big.

 But nobody wins when that happens."

That's when it hit me: These weren't people who needed to learn how to lead. These were leaders who needed to remember who they really were.

The Path to Authentic Leadership

The solution isn't more training. It's authentic leadership – leading from your true self, not from someone else's script.

Authentic leadership means:

· Self-awareness: Knowing your values and impact

· Genuine relationships: Building trust through truth

· Purpose-driven action: Making decisions based on what's right, not what's safe

5 Practical Steps to Start Today:

1. The Daily Truth Practice Ask yourself: "What would I do today if I wasn't afraid of judgment?" Then do one small thing from that list.

2. The Values Check Before major decisions, ask: "Does this align with who I am and what I believe?"

3. The Story Bridge Share one personal experience each week that shaped your perspective.

4. The Question Revolution Replace statements with questions. Help people discover their own solutions.

5. The Growth Mirror Weekly ask: "What invisible script did I follow that I want to rewrite?"

Measure Your Leadership Growth

You can't manage what you don't measure. Most  leaders have no idea where they stand on the authentic leadership spectrum.

That's why I've developed comprehensive assessments that show exactly where you are and where you need to grow.

The Authentic Leadership Assessment measures:

· Your current leadership style and blind spots

· How others perceive your leadership presence

· Your decision-making alignment with your values

· Your influence and impact

The STAR  Personality Assessment reveals:

· Your natural leadership strengths and energy drains

· How you show up under pressure

· Your optimal environment for peak performance

· Your growth areas for maximum impact

These aren't generic tests. They're designed specifically for for Leaders ready to break free from invisible scripts and lead authentically, full of confidence

Ready to Discover Your Leadership Score?

Take the first step toward authentic leadership.

Visit my website in my feature section or grab below and complete both assessments:

· Authentic Leadership Assessment (3-minutes)

· STAR Personality Assessment (20-30  minutes)

You'll get a detailed report showing exactly where you stand, what's holding you back, and your personalized roadmap for growth.

Because the Middle East needs leaders who are real and stay close to themselves, with both technical and people skills. Leaders who navigate traditional hierarchies and confidently lead from the front.

 That leader is you. The authentic you that's been waiting to emerge.

https://www.hanshorlings.com/

Hans Horlings

Authentic Leadership Expert