Why This C-Suite Executive Embraces Fear (And Why You Might Too).

The first time I met Sherice Torres, she was sitting cross-legged on a couch in Google's One Market Street office, engaging in genuine conversations about careers with a colleague of mine. She had scheduled 1:1's with each person in her larger org, spending time asking them about their life goals.

I remember thinking, "Wow, I get to work for this person. This is going to be fun." Years later, when I finally had the chance to sit down with Sherice on my podcast, now the Chief Marketing Officer of ChargePoint (NYSE: CHPT), I asked the question that had been on my mind since that first encounter: "Were you always this way?"

Her answer surprised me. "No," she said, with a trace of vulnerability still in her voice as she recalled the memory. "Back when I was an executive at Nickelodeon, in my 360 review, they said I was Angelica from Rugrats." In Sherice's own words, the comparison to Angelica meant that she was “inauthentic” at best, and “mean at worst.”

Sherice’s Origin Story

Sherice grew up with a belief that professional success required a dual identity. Her mother, who came of age during the Civil Rights Movement, instilled in her the idea that as a Black woman, she needed to be one person at work and another at home. "You are to always carry yourself professionally. Never let them see you sweat. Keep your business to yourself," Sherice recalled her mother's advice.

But Sherice's journey was also shaped by a determination to defy limitations. She shared a pivotal moment from her high school years when a guidance counselor tried to dissuade her from taking advanced classes and applying to Harvard. Drawing on her father's wisdom, Sherice pushed back. Not only did she take those classes, but she also got into Harvard. In a move that still brings a smile to her face, she photocopied her acceptance letter and put it in the mailbox of every teacher who told her she couldn't do it.

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This determination served her well in her career, but it wasn't until a 360-degree review at Nickelodeon that Sherice confronted a hard truth about the limitations of her leadership style. The feedback suggested that she didn't actually care about people, comparing her to Angelica from Rugrats - "acts like she's nice, but she's not."

"My feelings were so hurt," Sherice admitted. "I went home and cried." But this painful moment became a catalyst for change. She realized that her professional mask, while intended to protect her, was actually holding her back.

Bouncing Back To Authenticity

From that point on, Sherice embarked on a journey towards authentic leadership, a non-linear journey into actually being yourself. But here's the key insight she shared with me: the goal of authenticity is to liberate yourself, not to liberate others (even if that’s the effect).

“Let's be honest, Tarun, The way I look is never going to be professional to some people. So I stopped trying. I came in as I was, the way I wanted to present myself. And I focused on the work. I focused on being a good leader. And from that point, my career actually began to take off."

This shift allowed Sherice to focus on what truly mattered: the work, and her team. She developed a leadership philosophy centered on finding people’s superpowers . "My job is to help you find what lights you up," she said, emphasizing the importance of identifying and nurturing each team member's unique strengths (which would explain her 1:1’s at Google).

She explained, "I think the best managers are the ones that can see what the genius is of each person on their team." This involves careful observation and creating opportunities for team members to shine in their areas of strength, even if those strengths manifest in unconventional ways.

Equally as important, Sherice stressed the importance of clear, direct feedback, a crucial aspect of leadership that many managers struggle with. Studies show that 65% of employees want more feedback than they're getting, and that most people are avoidant. They try flimsy ways of giving feedback like the sandwich method, which does not work.

"Clarity is kindness," she stated, echoing Brené Brown's philosophy. This challenges the notion that being nice means avoiding difficult conversations. Sherice elaborated, "So often I think people confuse niceness with kindness. If you're making them feel better, but setting them up to fail, was that really nice? Was that really kind?"

Sherice's commitment to transparency and authenticity extends to herself, which helps set the tone for her 1:1’s. "I actually send a Friday note to my team every week with my word of the week or my phrase of the week," she shared. "And in those, I very openly share where I have failed in a work assignment or where I have failed the mark in terms of my own balance, my own commitment to myself."

This practice of vulnerability serves a dual purpose. "I do that to show them it's not just them and it is okay to make mistakes. You are not always going to get it right. And it's important to keep trying," Sherice explained. What started as a tool for team building has become a powerful exercise in self-reflection. "I actually do it more for myself now, reflecting on what happened over the course of the week. And I get as much from it, I think, as the team does."

As one of the few Black women in C-suite positions in America - with Black women making up only 1.4% of C-suite executives in the U.S. Sherice feels a responsibility to model effective leadership. "I realized I had an opportunity to make people who looked like me feel less alone," she explained.

Dancing With Fear

Perhaps the most profound lesson Sherice shared was about the concept of fear itself – a nod to my upcoming Resilient Leaders series for Forbes where I'll argue, from politics to business, the most resilient leaders have not eradicated fear. They’ve learned how to dance with it. "I don't know if you ever get over the fear," Sherice admitted. "I think you're just afraid and you do it anyway."

This embracing of fear as a constant companion revealed a depth of reflection, one that's been made possible by her mindfulness practice. Sherice explained how mindfulness practices, particularly breathing exercises, have helped her navigate fear. "The pain and discomfort never really go away," she said. "But with practice, with breathing, it becomes easier to manage. It's like exercising a muscle. The weight doesn't get lighter, but you get stronger."

As our conversation drew to a close, I appreciated that Sherice Torres hadn't just shared leadership advice - she had offered a roadmap for personal growth for all of us. Her journey from embracing authentic leadership as an intrinsic tool serves as a powerful reminder that our greatest strengths often emerge from our deepest vulnerabilities.

To listen to the full interview with Sherice, check out the full episode on the Resilient Leadership podcast — available on Spotify & Apple.