Anton Guinea
Entrepreneur, Speaker, bestselling author, and founder of The Guinea Group of Companies. For over 15 years, Anton has helped leaders move their teams to become psychologically safe, physically safe and overall better versions of themselves.
Have you ever felt like the pressure to appear perfect is holding you back as a leader?
I’ve seen it again and again. Leaders wearing their “perfection mask” so tightly they forget who they really are underneath. We’re taught that leadership is about control, about having all the answers, about being the one who never breaks. But that kind of thinking is outdated. And more importantly, it’s not helping anyone.
Here’s the truth: being real beats being perfect. Every. Single. Time.
Why perfection is killing your connection
I used to think I had to show up polished and bulletproof. That was until I nearly lost my life in a workplace incident that forced me to strip away the façade and just be human. It wasn’t a lesson I wanted, but it was the one I needed. And now, I see it everywhere. Leaders micromanaging, avoiding vulnerability, choking on the pressure of looking flawless.
The idea of “perfect leadership” is built on fear. Fear of not being good enough. Fear of being found out. But fear doesn’t build trust. It destroys it. And without trust, your team won’t follow you, won’t speak up, and won’t bring their best. That’s why I talk so much about emotional intelligence. Because without it, you’re just pretending. And people can smell pretend a mile off.
Being real is harder but it works
Let me be honest: being a real leader is tough. You’ve got to sit in discomfort. You’ve got to admit when you’re wrong. You’ve got to feel, and let others feel too. But you know what happens when you do?
You start to build real trust. Real relationships. Real results.
I’ve had leaders tell me, “Anton, I don’t want to overshare. I don’t want to seem weak.” And I get it. But vulnerability isn’t weakness. It’s courage. It’s clarity. It’s connection. If you’re faking it to look the part, you’re missing the point.
The truth about modern leadership
Leadership today is less about having a polished résumé and more about having psychological safety in your team. Teams don’t need a superhero. They need a human who listens, adapts, and shows up. A leader who takes responsibility and cares enough to have hard conversations.
If you’re looking for examples of what this looks like in action, check out how real conversations build high-performing teams. It’s not rocket science. It’s care, courage, and control, the conscious kind.
And if you think you need a script for that? You don’t. But what you might need is the right kind of training. That’s why I created Speak Safe. It helps teams build safer, stronger, and more emotionally aware cultures.
Why real leaders outperform fake ones
There’s research out there that backs this up too. Authentic leaders are more effective. People are more likely to follow them, trust them, and stay with them. Another study dives into why people don’t feel safe at work, and it often boils down to fake leadership. See that here.
But I don’t need research to tell me that. I’ve lived it. I’ve worked with hundreds of leaders who finally dropped the perfection act and saw their teams rise because of it.
This isn’t just about emotions either. It’s about performance. The most effective leaders I coach? They’re the ones who can say, “I don’t know,” or “I messed up,” and move forward. And their teams respect them more, not less.
The cost of chasing perfection
Trying to be perfect? That’ll burn you out. It’ll silence your team. And it’ll kill your growth. I’ve had leaders sit in coaching sessions with me, completely fried, because they’re holding it all in. Afraid to let anyone see them sweat.
But when we talk through it? What they often realise is that they don’t need to hold it all together. They just need to create space where people feel safe. Safe to speak. Safe to challenge. Safe to be real, too.
What being real actually looks like
It’s listening. It’s owning your mistakes. It’s asking for feedback and actually taking it on. It’s showing emotion without apologising for it. It’s knowing that leadership isn’t about being liked or being right. It’s about showing up fully, imperfectly, and consistently.
That’s how you build trust. And trust builds everything else.
Still not sure where to start?
Start by asking yourself: What would it feel like to lead without pretending? Scary? Probably. But powerful? Definitely.
If that hits home, maybe now’s the time to explore how you can develop your own authentic style. You don’t need a script. You don’t need a personality transplant. You just need a place to begin.
And if you’re serious about leading real, not perfect? Let’s talk. Book a leadership session or reach out directly. I’d love to support you or your team.
Because at the end of the day, people won’t remember your credentials. They’ll remember how you made them feel. They’ll remember that you were real.
Please click the image below if you’d like to chat about what leadership means to you
If you would like to learn more about Anton or The Guinea Group, please click here to book into Anton’s calendar, to:
UPGRADE your Mindset
UPSKILL your Leadership
UPLIFT your Teams