Crack the glossy wall: the case for being human at work

Polished. Professional. Prepared.

Quite possibly, these are among the qualities that landed you where you are today, leading a project, a team, an organization, or an entire industry.

But sometimes—especially in leadership—too much polish puts you behind a thick, glossy wall that separates you from others. That distance can make it hard for people to connect with you, trust you, or even hear you.

I’m not about to suggest that you cast aside professionalism by oversharing, cracking jokes, or trying to be something you’re not.

I am about to suggest that engaging an audience—whether they’re your colleagues, employees, customers, or some other business-y crowd—requires you to crack through that wall.

And the way to do that is by revealing your humanness.

Be real.
Open up.
Divulge a bit of your inner monologue.
Show a glimpse of your messy, imperfect, quirky self.
Loosen up and have a little fun.

How this plays out is entirely up to you. Only you can decide what and how to share. Your humanness must be true to you and your style.

So, instead of a how-to lesson, I’m offering you a business case for being human when communicating at work. But not a stodgy, boring business case, because:

• Stodgy and boring are not my style.
• You don’t want to read anything stodgy or boring.

Neither of us is interested in going there. But I am always excited to use the Power of 39—the brainstorming method I invented quite by accident years ago. And I suspect you might stick around for a somewhat entertaining list of 39 reasons it’s a good idea to be human at work—particularly if you get to choose the ones you like.

You don’t need to agree with all these reasons.

You don’t need to practice all these reasons.

Just choose 10 of these reasons and let them inspire the way you show up at work.

39 reasons to be human when leading and communicating at work

Choose your favorite 10 and ignore the rest—for now.

1. Because no one says, “I trust them completely. They sound like a corporate spokesperson.”
2. Because people connect to stories, not perfectly formatted bullet points.
3. Because laughter lowers stress faster than a cheesy icebreaker.
4. Because pretending not to be human is more awkward than being human.
5. Because vulnerability builds trust, and trust builds everything else.
6. Because people work harder for leaders they know and feel connected to.
7. Because sounding rehearsed can make you seem aloof and detached.
8. Because relatability lowers defenses, and defenses kill collaboration.
9. Because saying “I don’t know” sets a brave, bold example.
10. Because people remember not what you say, but how you make them feel.
11. Because warmth makes difficult messages easier to hear.
12. Because email messages don’t need to read like legal contracts.
13. Because showing personality gives others permission to do the same.
14. Because culture is shaped more by tone than policy.
15. Because humanity is contagious.
16. Because no one believes someone who suggests they never struggle.
17. Because being human shortens meetings. People get to the point faster.
18. Because authenticity beats authority in moments of uncertainty.
19. Because approachable leaders hear about problems sooner.
20. Because perfection creates distance that keeps people from connecting.
21. Because corporate jargon inspires nothing more than eyerolls.
22. Because a little humor can turn an announcement into a conversation.
23. Because you’re trying to reach real people with real emotions and varying levels of caffeination.
24. Because people pay attention when they feel seen.
25. Because pretending all the time is exhausting.
26. Because vulnerability signals emotional intelligence, not weakness.
27. Because mistakes can be lessons, not landmines.
28. Because people don’t leave companies, they leave unreachable leaders.
29. Because trust speeds up execution.
30. Because honesty saves time.
31. Because being “on” 100% of the time is unsustainable.
32. Because connection fuels engagement better than incentives alone.
33. Because people want to work with you, not be managed by you.
34. Because you’re leading people, not PowerPoint decks.
35. Because people shouldn’t need courage just to make a suggestion.
36. Because leaders who can laugh at themselves tend to be taken more seriously.
37. Because people don’t want to be optimized. They want to be understood.
38. Because it’s easier to celebrate wins when they don’t feel scripted.
39. Because clarity and kindness cost nothing extra.

Pick 10 reasons and put them to work

You don’t need all 39 of these reasons to bring your humanness to work.

You don’t even need half of them.

Just pick 10:

• 3 that you agree with, wholeheartedly
• 5 that strike you as having intriguing potential
• 2 that make you downright uncomfortable

Psst: Those last two probably deserve your attention.

You be you

You’ve just given yourself 10 good reasons to bring your human self to work. Now, go do it.

Because professionalism doesn’t require emotional distance. And credibility doesn’t disappear when warmth shows up. And leadership doesn’t weaken when it becomes more human.

Human leaders are effective leaders.

You don’t need to change who you are. Just remove some of that high-gloss finish and show who you are.