584 - People don’t trust perfection
Why do so many CEOs sound scripted instead of authentic? This episode of The Daily Hint explores why genuine, human communication builds more trust and business than polished PR messaging, and how leaders can show up with clarity, values, and purpose.
There’s so much polished PR communication out there that the authenticity of most CEOs communicating today is gone
CEO communication has become increasingly polished and increasingly disconnected. Carefully scripted statements, approved talking points, and rehearsed answers dominate interviews and public appearances. While intended to protect the brand, this approach often strips away the very element audiences crave most: authenticity.
In this episode of The Daily Hint, we explore why overly controlled communication weakens leadership impact, and why showing up as a real human being is one of the most powerful moves a CEO can make.
The Problem with Scripted Leadership
Many CEOs are handed scripts they would never use in real life. The result is communication that feels unnatural, distant, and transactional. While the speaker may technically say the “right” things, the delivery lacks emotional truthand audiences notice.
Leadership communication is not meant to sound perfect.
It is meant to sound real.
When messages feel rehearsed, trust erodes quietly. Not because the information is wrong, but because the delivery doesn’t align with human behavior.
Why Authenticity Is a Business Advantage
Authentic leadership communication starts with a simple shift:
Stop playing a role.
When CEOs show up as themselves, owning their values, beliefs, imperfections, and purpose, they remove the pressure to perform. Instead of acting as a corporate spokesperson, they communicate as a human leader.
This creates:
Stronger trust with audiences
Deeper emotional connection
Greater credibility over time
More meaningful business relationships
Authenticity doesn’t weaken authority; it strengthens it.
The PR Fear vs. Reality
From a traditional PR perspective, authenticity can feel risky. Unscripted leaders are unpredictable. They may show emotion. They may reveal flaws.
But the reality is this:
A CEO who communicates authentically causes less harm, not more.
Audiences are far more forgiving of honesty than they are of artificial perfection. When leaders are clear about who they are and what they stand for, expectations align, and trust grows.
The most effective CEOs don’t try to sound like leaders.
They are leaders, and they communicate accordingly.
Being open, honest, and human isn’t a branding liability. It’s a competitive advantage in a world where trust is scarce, and attention is earned.
This episode is a reminder that leadership presence doesn’t come from scripts; it comes from self-awareness, clarity, and the courage to show up as yourself.
Highlights:
0:00 - Polished PR Communication and Lack of Authenticity1
0:09 - Reading Scripts in Interviews2
0:21 - Being Open, Honest, and Clear3
0:27 - The Power of Being Themselves4
0:37 - No Need to Play a Role5
0:41 - CEO Authenticity vs. PR Perspective6
0:49 - Authentic Individuality Brings Business
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Transcript:
There's so much polished PR communication out there that the authenticity of most CEOs communicating today is gone. A lot of CEOs are getting a script that they're reading, and then they're communicating that in interviews and in formal conversations. The speaker thinks that is not a human way of how they would ever communicate.
Being open, being honest, and being clear about how they communicate would be way easier if they just be themselves. Being themselves means they show up with their flaws, their values, and their purpose. By doing that, they don't need to play a role. They don't need to be someone else. Even though that's sometimes difficult to understand as a PR person in the company, a CEO showing up as an individual authentically will bring more business and will do way less harm than PR people think.