We all wear masks.
Not always as a deception but sometimes as a declaration.
A leader steps onto the multifamily stage and wears the mask of authority, vision, and confidence.
A leasing consultant dons the mask of trustworthiness, enthusiasm, and expertise.
A maintenance technician wears the mask of problem-solving, resilience, and service.
But here’s the secret: the mask isn’t fake.
It’s a blueprint.
We create a version of ourselves, an idealized image of who we want to be, and then we grow into it.
The mask isn’t about pretending—it’s about becoming.
It forces us to stretch, evolve, and sharpen the edges of our potential until we fit the identity we’ve designed.
In a future article, we can discuss the influences you allow in the design process.
For now, let’s keep with the topic at hand!
Weak leaders resist the process.
They wear the mask but never grow into it.
They talk about culture but don’t embody it.
They claim vision but can’t execute.
They stay surface-level, hoping the mask alone will do the work.
True leaders, the ones who transform organizations and lives, commit to filling in the mask.
They embrace the discomfort of growth, the weight of responsibility, and the challenge of meeting their own expectations.
They don’t compromise.
They are not charmed by charismatic storytellers.
They don’t buy into other people’s visions for “who” they should be, “what” they should wear, or “how” they should speak.
The best teams operate the same way.
They create an aspirational identity—service-driven, results-oriented, innovative—and then they step into it.
They act “as if” until “as is” becomes real.
Every great transformation starts with a mask.
Every great leader fills it in.
Who are you becoming?
Make it the best version of you!
“Your mask isn’t a lie. It’s a contract with your future self. Sign it.” – Mike Brewer