How Personal Presence Shapes Leadership and Authenticity: A Multiverse Leadership Podcast with Katherine Lazaruk

Presence | Authenticity | Whole-Person Leadership

Introduction
Authentic leadership begins with knowing yourself and breaking free from limiting beliefs. In this episode of the Multiverse Leadership Podcast, Justin ITee Walker welcomes Katherine Lazaruk—image consultant, professional presence expert, and creator of the “whole person, whole presence” philosophy. Drawing from her journey through opera, teaching, corporate consulting, and entrepreneurship, Katherine shares how embracing your true identity unlocks personal freedom and drives real change.

The Journey to Whole-Person Leadership
Katherine’s path began in opera and education, but her struggle with narrow career boxes and a major health challenge pushed her to seek true self-alignment. With coaching and deep self-reflection, she shifted into image consulting, eventually training other consultants and expanding her influence to executives and entire leadership teams. Katherine’s story highlights that our “container”—our physical form—is the perfect vessel for our purpose, and making peace with it is essential for thriving.

Understanding Personal Presence
Presence goes beyond style; it’s about character, congruence, and choice. Katherine teaches leaders to align their environment, actions, and image with their core values. Authenticity means using your unique strengths, giving up the mask, and showing up as your whole self. The three Cs—character, congruence, and choice—guide individuals to express their identity, challenge limiting expectations, and turn image into a mechanism for self-discovery and communication.

Overcoming Limiting Beliefs
From childhood conditioning to social roles, Katherine breaks down how the messages we receive can limit growth. She underscores the importance of surrounding yourself with people who celebrate your uniqueness and challenge the idea that anything is wrong with you. Her work empowers clients to recognize their value, dismantle perfectionism, and stop hiding behind roles or titles.

The Magic of Small Actions
Rather than fixating on lofty goals, Katherine encourages celebrating small actions and daily promises to yourself. Mundane wins, like doing the dishes or taking a walk, build internal power and self-efficacy over time. She advocates for “pruning” energy spent on things that don’t matter, making space for growth and fulfillment.

Somatic Practices and Healing
True change combines mindset with somatic practices. Katherine reveals that the body must feel safe for the mind to form new habits, and body-based therapies can unlock stuck patterns. Leaders must pay attention to bodily signals, as most information comes from body to brain, not the other way around.

Key Takeaways

• Presence is about aligning character, congruence, and choice

• Authentic leadership starts with self-acceptance and showing up whole

• Small daily actions accumulate into significant transformation

• Healing yourself helps heal the collective and drives societal change

• Your worth is inherent; success and productivity are just bonuses

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