Stop Worshipping Authenticity. Start Performing with Intention.

A young entrepreneur walked into a networking event with a plan.

She had an outline for her script. She had market data, a clear value proposition, and a specific ask: a warm intro to a potential investor. Armed with these tools and her relentless authenticity, she felt ready.

But when the moment came, her voice wavered. Her energy dipped. She rushed through her pitch, skipped the ask, and ended with a vague “thanks for listening.”

The room nodded politely. Business cards were exchanged. But nothing changed.

She had a plan. She had the truth.

But she didn’t have the performance.

And because her performance missed the mark, her intention never became impact.

The Myth of Performance

We’ve been taught that performance is pretending.

That to rehearse is to be inauthentic. That to deliver with precision is to be manipulative.

But here’s the truth:
Performance isn’t the opposite of authenticity. It’s the expression of intention.

The actor on stage isn’t pretending.
Their character might be fictional, but their actions are real.
Every gesture, every pause, every line is chosen to provoke a response.

That’s not deception. That’s discipline.

The Goal of Communication Is Action

Communication isn’t about clarity.
It’s not about transferring information.
It’s not even about expressing emotion.

The goal of communication is action.

And action doesn’t happen by accident.
It happens when a plan is backed by observable behaviors—tone, timing, body language, word choice—that align intention with impact.

The Bridge Between Intention and Impact

This is where performance lives.
Not in the script, but in the delivery.
Not in the idea, but in the execution.

Even silence, hesitation, or avoidance is a performance.
The question isn’t if you’re performing—it’s how well your performance aligns with your intention.

We perform every time we speak.
Every gesture, pause, or omission communicates something.
And when we speak without careful consideration and execution of that performance, we leave our message half-built.
We rob it of its power.

Performance is what makes the provocation land.
It’s what turns planning into movement.
It’s what makes communication active.

A New Definition of Performance

So, let’s redefine it.

Performance is the intentional execution of a communication plan designed to provoke action.

It’s not about being someone else.
It’s about being fully yourself, on purpose.

It’s about showing up with precision, not pretense.

Because when your words are backed by action, your voice becomes undeniable.

Commit Yourself to Performance

If you’ve ever walked away from a conversation thinking,
“I wish I’d said that differently,”
what you really mean is you wish you’d performed differently.

You had the intention.
You may have even had the plan.

But without the right performance, your message never had a chance to move.

So, the next time you speak, ask yourself:
What action am I trying to provoke—and how do I need to perform to make that action a reality?