Have you ever worked for a CEO (Wizard), that all-knowing person in the corner office, or the CEO (Emperor) that everyone tells only what he wants to hear? I know that you have because I have and it is a constant theme from the women in business I talk with every day. The sad truth is that too often we grow up with the misconception that people are smarter than we are, more intuitive than we are, more important than we are or just better than we are. Where does this lack of confidence come from? How can we be leaders without kowtowing to emperors and wizards?

Two classic stories come to mind when I think of my experience with the people at the top. The first, the Wizard of Oz, is the tale of the great and powerful Oz who can solve all the world’s problems, including that of getting a young girl and her dog back to Kansas. You know the story, it's about Dorothy, her dog and her new found friends who make a treacherous journey to the Emerald City of Oz to meet the all-knowing, all-powerful ruler of the land. Eventually, the curtain is pulled open to reveal Oz, just an ordinary man using his tricks to appear 'great and powerful'. The question becomes then what were they really afraid of? Was it the man or the reality that they may never make it back home? Fear of the unknown can be crippling.

Another familiar story, written by Hans Christian Andersen, The Emperor’s New Clothes, is a Danish fairy tale written in 1837. The story is a fable with a warning that just because everyone believes something is true, and more important, reports to the boss that it is so, doesn’t mean it is true.

The story begins with a clothes-obsessed emperor who is interested only in himself. When two tailors (thieves) convince him that they can make him the most exquisite clothes that have magical powers and will be invisible to anyone who is stupid or unfit to serve, the emperor agrees to pay them great sums. Each day the emperor sends his most trusted advisors to view the tailor's work and each advisor sees nothing, but is afraid to admit it as it would confirm he is unfit to serve.  Finally, when the emperor admires his reflection in the mirror he too sees no clothes, but does not want to admit that he is unfit or too stupid to be emperor. As the emperor strolls through the streets, his subjects all admire his wardrobe until a small boy calls out, “He hasn’t got any clothes on!” Everyone then realizes that their fear of speaking the truth had made fools of them all. The question today is why is everyone so afraid of the truth?

I was fortunate to grow up in an environment where both my parents believed in me. From the time I can remember my dad took me to work with him and often to business meetings with him. When he introduced me to anyone, it was always, “You need to meet my daughter Mr. So-and-So. She is a great ____________”. You can fill in the blank with whatever I was doing at the time. Perhaps it was student, swimmer, girl scout, speaker or part time Mister Donut employee.. My dad thought I was the best at everything. Or at least, he said he did. He would then suggest I tell Mr. So-So about myself. This was great training for me to learn to speak for myself without fear of what the important people might think of me or do to me if they didn't like what I had to say. As a matter of fact, I learned that most of the time people are very happy to hear the truth. The old adage 'the truth will set you free' is accurate. When you aren't living your truth you hurt yourself, your colleagues, your family and your community.

So what is the takeaway from this blog? Could it be a statement about the mess going on in Washington, D.C.? Could it be that women in business and women leaders have not earn or taken their place at the table to the extent that would be benefit the greater good in America? Or could it be just about YOU and how you deal with the wizards and emperors in your life?

I'll let you decide the answer to these questions.  But, while you are thinking about it, start speaking the truth every chance you get and stop being afraid of the man behind the curtain - both are fables that have long passed their relevancy.

Today are fear of leaders is more about their lack of success than about their power - think about it!

(The Wizard of Oz was produced as a motion picture in 1939 by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer)

(The Emperor's New Clothes is a short tale by Hans Christian Anderson written in 1837)