It’s All an Inside Job: Leadership, Authenticity, and the Power of Alignment

"Your truth is the light. You don’t have to set the world on fire—just burn bright enough to remind others they can, too." - Mary Coughlin

I recently watched Conclave, expecting an intriguing political drama. What I didn’t expect was a profound lesson in leadership, authenticity, and the quiet power of self-acceptance.

Throughout the film, Cardinal Lawrence is repeatedly urged to search his own heart—to move beyond external pressures and listen to what truly aligns with his essence. And then there’s Cardinal Benítez, the character I was sure would rise to the highest position. But in the end, his greatest triumph wasn’t power—it was peace.

The Inside Job of Leadership

So often, leadership is framed as something external: a title, a role, a system to navigate. But true leadership—whether in the Vatican, the NICU, or our everyday lives—is an inside job. It’s about alignment. It’s about peeling back the layers of expectation, fear, and conditioning to stand firmly in who we are.

And that’s the greatest gift we can offer the world.

Alignment Over Approval

In trauma-informed care, in governance, in social change, the most impactful leaders are not the ones who chase power but the ones who embody truth. They are the ones who lead from a place of integrity, not performance.

We live in a world that often rewards conformity, but what if the real work is not about fitting in—but about standing fully in who we are?

The B.U.F.F.E.R. of Authenticity

The ending of Conclave hit me hard because it mirrored something I’ve been reflecting on: belonging, feeling understood, forgiveness, frameworks, equanimity, and respect—the core elements of the B.U.F.F.E.R. framework. True leadership requires all of these. It asks us to belong to ourselves first. To understand our own truth. To forgive the parts of us that have tried to please instead of align. To embrace a framework that is not rigid but expansive. To hold equanimity in the face of uncertainty. To respect our own path.

Your Gift to the World

If there’s one thing Conclave reaffirmed for me, it’s this: your power is not in what you achieve, but in how fully you embody who you are. That’s what creates change. That’s what shifts systems. That’s what heals.

It’s all an inside job. The world doesn’t need you to be anything other than fully you.

So I’ll leave you with this:

The world doesn’t need more performative leaders. It needs more people who are fully themselves.

“Authenticity is not the price you pay for belonging—it’s the key to it. Stop waiting for permission to be who you are. Your essence is your revolution.”

What would it look like for you to lead from that place?

In alignment & action,

Mary

P.S.: If this speaks to you—if you’re craving leadership that feels real, expansive, and deeply human—let’s talk. My work is about more than just ideas; it’s about transformation. Reach out, and let’s build something that aligns with who you really are.

#CaringIsEssential