The Ultimate Luxury Is Being Yourself

Luxury has long been defined by exclusivity: limited access, controlled distance, and a carefully managed image. Many times, leadership borrows from this same logic, since traditionally authority is signaled through distance, restraint, and an expectation of composure under pressure. However, in a recent conversation hosted by C-Suite Coach at Zero Bond with Stephanie Oueda Cruz, Global Vice President of DEIB at Tiffany & Co., a different perspective emerged that feels particularly timely. The ability to show up as oneself has become central to effective leadership, shaping how trust forms and holds over time.

Stephanie’s work sits at the intersection of culture, commerce, and human experience. Across industries and geographies, she has seen how leadership norms are shaped, reinforced, and quietly inherited. One of her clearest observations is that leaders often underestimate how much effort goes into performing leadership, and how quickly others sense the cost of that performance.

“What is special about you is what makes you effective. When you try to be someone else, people perceive it. And it is exhausting.”

That exhaustion shows up in subtle but consequential ways: delayed decisions, guarded conversations, and teams that comply rather than commit. Over time, self-editing becomes mistaken for professionalism. Distance becomes confused with authority. Yet in practice, that distance often weakens the very outcomes leaders are trying to protect.

Stephanie noted that this pattern is most visible in environments where the stakes are high and expectations relentless. Leaders are taught to manage image, minimize vulnerability, and maintain control. What is less often acknowledged is how much clarity, creativity, and trust are lost when people feel they must leave parts of themselves outside the room. As she reflected, “you can only fake it for so long. It becomes tiring, and people miss out on what you actually bring.”

In contrast, leaders and organizations that sustain performance over time tend to operate differently. They treat authenticity less as a personality trait and more as a leadership practice. This shows up in how decisions are explained, how disagreement is handled, and how uncertainty is acknowledged. Transparency, respect, and consistency replace polish as the primary signals of credibility.

Stephanie was direct about what enables that shift. It is not charisma or confidence, but follow-through.

“If you say something, you have to do it. Trust takes a long time to build and a moment to lose.”

This approach matters even more as technology accelerates the pace of work. As AI takes on more transactional and analytical tasks, what remains distinctly human becomes more valuable: judgment, presence, and connection. Leaders are no longer differentiated by access to information, but by their ability to create environments where people feel safe enough to think, speak, and contribute fully. As Stephanie framed it, “technology can make us smarter, but connection is what builds meaning. That part will never disappear.”

Seen through this lens, the idea that the ultimate luxury is being yourself is less aspirational than it first appears. It reflects a clear-eyed understanding of modern leadership: in complex systems, trust is fragile, performance is relational, and effectiveness depends less on image than on experience.

The question this conversation ultimately raises is a practical one. In your own leadership, where does distance still stand in for authority, and where might it be limiting trust, candor, or judgment? The leaders who stand apart now are those who understand that trust is the real source of authority, not distance.

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