I watched the video for the Sam Smith song Diamonds a few days ago and was bowled over. They (one of the pronouns Sam Smith would like to be referred by) freely moved around a dimly light room, in a T-shirt with holes in, faded jeans and a pair of white socks. I was really surprised to see an artist doing this. It looked so real and unedited. I could imagine anyone doing this, getting in front of a camera, or people, no matter what they look like, and just doing what they need to do.

I work with clients to be like this. When clients come to me, whether for presentation or life coaching, I focus on who they are being. Are they allowing themselves to be themselves! Are they editing themselves, their words, their voices, their dreams! If they are, then they often find to achieve what they want to, they have to stop.

Sam Smith in this video, for me is an inspiration. In those moments where they are doing their work, they are more concerned with what they are doing, than how it will look to other people. They are not concerned with whether they will be criticised or accepted. They are just doing what feels right for them, and we as the audience/listener/observer are free to like it or not. This elevates the art/music/work that they are doing. It is emboldened by their self-confidence. It is raw, visceral and unapologetic.

The clients I have worked with, all have their own personalities/ways of being and style. To put it simply some are extrovert and some are introvert. Some are loud, some are quiet and so on. However, they all have something to do or say, and they want to say and do it their way. The words of Marianne Williamson come to mind “We are all meant to shine…It’s not just in some of us; It’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, We unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we’re liberated from our own fear, Our presence automatically liberates others.” This is why I used the words inspiration and power in this article title. By being our true selves, by being brave, by saying or doing what it is we really want to say or do. We act as an example to others. So the benefits are compounded. This is leadership, being authentic, being vulnerable, showing the parts of ourselves that we think are undesirable, and allowing others to share those same parts of themselves.