(I034) Truth Needs No Applause

Leadership Developmentauthenticityauthentic leadershipauthentic leadership practicesalign your whyfind your why

Jul 28

Ask yourself this: When someone asks why you do what you do, do you speak with ease—or do you find yourself justifying it?

If it’s the latter, your truth is still under construction.

And that’s okay. That realization, between needing to explain and the knowing, is where real alignment begins.

When your "why" is fully from the heart, it flows out of you with ease. You speak it and everyone in the room feels its truth. Why is that you wonder? Because it's anchored in your emotional truth. You don’t need a script—YOU become the message.

Here is what I have noticed in the leaders I have worked with; They are carrying a lot. Their days are full. Their teams are looking to them for direction. But the compass inside feels foggy and layered with busy work. They’re navigating tasks, meetings, and expectations—but missing the thread that should be pulls it all in one direction.

Here’s what I’ve come to know as truth: When your why is aligned, there is no convincing. There’s only clarity. And that clarity moves everything. That clarity creates its own Return On Energy.

Just last week, I worked with a client who was in that fog. She was ready to find her why (deep down she already knew it)—she simply had to find it again. We went through page full of words. Strong ones. Strategic ones. But none of them felt quite right. I watched her stay in her head, trying to pick the words that “should” be her why.

So I invited her, "Close your eyes..."

Hesitant, she put her pen down, twisted in her seat a bit, and I simply gave it space to settle. To allow her to feel what she already knew to be true—just feel it.

And I watched something happen. Her whole body softened. Her voice changed. Time slowed. Four simple words came out. You could feel the truth in them.

She wiped her cheek, opened her eyes and said, “That’s it.”

She didn’t need to explain them, she knew it. That moment didn’t need applause. It was already complete.

That’s what happens when your why is aligned.

In Japanese, the word for “meaning” is 意味 (imi)—a blend of intention (意) and flavor or essence (味). And if you look closely, you’ll see that inside the first kanji, 意, there’s something easy to miss: the radical for heart (心) hidden within. It’s a reminder that it begins in the heart. When we lead from that place, our words carry resonance. Our actions land. And those around us don’t just understand what we’re doing—they can feel why it matters.

Your decisions get easier. Your energy gets clearer. And your leadership begins to move from a place that’s unshakable.

This is the work we do inside the Human Impact Kata at Ensō Mindset. We don’t chase titles or tactics. We build presence. We train rhythm. We root into repetition and self-trust, so that you don’t have to overthink your leadership. You become it.

We begin again this September.

And if you’ve been giving so much—your time, your energy, your vision—and still feel like the return doesn’t match the effort, I invite you to sit with this;