Credibility isn’t a Costume. It’s your Own Skin! (4)

We live in a world that’s constantly whispering in our ears… and by whispering, I mean yelling in 100 point font across social media posts and “10 things never to do if you want to be taken seriously” articles.

Don’t say this.
Never post that.
Avoid these phrases if you want to appear credible.

It’s like credibility has been turned into a checklist, a formula, a script. Smile just enough, speak just right, and for heaven’s sake, never let them see the real you because that might be too much.

Here’s the problem. The more you try to become what you think the world wants, the further you drift from who you actually are. And the further you drift, the more you sound like an AI-generated coach from 2025. Respectfully.

Now let’s take this idea to Hollywood. Remember The Greatest Showman? Hugh Jackman’s character, P.T. Barnum, spends most of the movie trying to impress high society. He wears the right clothes, says the right things, and courts the “credible” people. But in chasing their approval, he starts sidelining the very performers who made him special; the ones who were unapologetically different.

It all falls apart. Because in trying to gain credibility by being something he’s not, he loses connection, trust, and eventually, himself.

He does find his way back but only by embracing his authentic crew ; the bearded lady, the trapeze artists, the oddballs. And the moment he does? That’s when he truly becomes credible. Not because he ticks the boxes. But because he owns his story.

In real life, it’s the same. I’ve seen leaders who try to “present well” and end up sounding like a podcast with the playback speed set to 1.5x. ( Self included 😳) and I’ve seen people who speak with simple honesty and light up the room. No filters, no corporate gloss. Just truth, passion, and the courage to be seen.

Authenticity isn’t a vulnerability. It’s a superpower. Because when you speak from who you are, not from what you think people want to hear, you earn something no strategy can buy: trust.

So the next time someone tells you “never say this if you want to be credible,” pause and ask yourself ; is it really about the words, or is it about the intention behind them?

Because you can’t fake your way to being believable. People don’t trust perfect. They trust real.

Be you. Weird quirks, quiet confidence, chaotic brilliance, subtle disasters and all. It beats polished pretence any day.