Time to read: 5 minutes
What we are unpacking today:
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The Courage to Show the Messy Middle
A year ago, I stood at a crossroads. Wait for the perfect moment, or launch The Change Republic as a side hustle? I chose the messier path. Not because I had it all figured out. I chose it because helping leaders become their best selves meant showing mine, unfiltered.
Also, nobody told me about building something meaningful: perfection is the enemy of connection. I used to think credibility came from having all the answers. Big mistake. People don't trust perfection. They trust real.
When I started The Change Republic, I made a conscious decision. Build in public. Every workshop iteration, every client feedback session, every pivot, I shared it all my path.
You know what happened? Instead of losing credibility, I gained something far more valuable. Genuine connection. People started reaching out saying, "Finally, it's authentic."
Many of them became clients. They weren't looking for a guru on a pedestal. They wanted a partner in the trenches.
The vulnerability extends to everything. My workshops and speaking engagements. My coaching work with clients. When a senior executive recently struggled with delegation, I didn't pretend to have the magic formula. I shared my own journey. Including the time I almost derailed a project by micromanaging my team. That's connection, two humans figuring out this leadership thing together.
This approach shapes everything at The Change Republic.
Our AI coaching tool? Launched in beta. Openly collecting feedback. Iterating based on what users actually needed, not what we thought they wanted. Live now.
Our workshops? They evolve with every session. We ask, we listen, we adapt.
I believe, that showing your development isn't weakness. It's the ultimate strength.
When you let people see you trying, struggling, figuring it out—not just winning—that's when they relate. That's where trust lives. Perfection keeps people at a distance. Realness brings them closer.
Quick recommendations before we dive into AGI territory:
For my German-speaking readers: Join me at Bargespräche Digital @ Ladies Drive where we'll explore how to build a change-ready mindset. Perfect timing as we navigate all these shifts happening around us.
Register now - no cost involved.
For everyone: Don't miss Mel Robbins' latest podcast episode with Allie K. Miller. They break down where to start and how to think about AI changing our lives. Practical, accessible, and refreshingly honest. Just how we like it.
When Machines Train to Replace Us (And Why I'm Not Panicking)
Speaking of showing the messy middle, let me share what's been on my head since last week.
I was having dinner in a lively brasserie in Lausanne, just after a long day of conference at IMD. Brilliant coaches and thinkers around the table. The topic? Artificial General Intelligence arriving within three years. That's the one with intention, not anymore human control.
Thoughts? Massive job losses. Social unrest. Basically The Matrix.
That is machines in charge, blue and red pills and so on.
Then this week just another of these news (getting a habit lately).. Mercor's CEO announces they're paying $1.5 million per day to humans. To train AI on replacing those same humans. The irony isn't lost on anyone.
But here's where my thinking gets interesting. And maybe controversial. What if we're asking the wrong questions?
At that Lausanne dinner, we admittedly painted dystopian futures, I kept thinking about my clients.
The executive who finally learned to have difficult conversations.
The team leader who discovered her authentic voice.
The manager who transformed his entire approach to feedback.
None of these breakthroughs came from information transfer. They came from something uniquely human. The ability to sit with discomfort. To recognize patterns in the unsaid. To create space for transformation.
Yes, AI is getting smarter. Yes, it's learning from us at unprecedented speed.
But there's something it can't capture in those training sessions.
That moment of recognition when someone finally understands not what to do, but why it matters to them personally.
Although I'm convinced there are deeply human things—empathy, meaning, connection, intention, presence—that can be imitated but not genuinely replaced, I'm also very aware. Our world is about to change. Big.
What's your take?
Did you miss our last newsletters?
Inboxes can get a little crazy, right? Just in case you missed them, here are the links to our previous newsletters:
- Newsletter #20: I'm sharing how three hidden Claude settings can 10x your workflow and why The Change Republic is becoming a practice space, not just more content. → LINK HERE
- Newsletter #19: I’m sharing how AI can bridge human connection, why unlearning success habits matters, and how powerful questions fuel growth. → LINK HERE
- Newsletter #18: I’m sharing how coaching is becoming a global movement, how AI and human transformation now work hand-in-hand, and what AI still can’t hear — even at TEDx. → LINK HERE
Thanks for reading. Just drop a quick reply if you have any feedback.
Wishing you a great weekend ahead.
Warm regards,
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