Be You, Be the Leader with Enrique Acosta Gonzalez
What if the biggest thing holding you back… is the version of yourself you’re pretending to be?
In this episode, Enrique Acosta Gonzalez gets radically real about his journey from a siloed, boxed-in Navy leader to a fully integrated, truth-speaking mentor and coach. From cultural identity struggles to a wake-up call from his own wife, Enrique shares the bold pivots that reshaped his life and leadership.
If you’ve ever felt the pressure to conform or the fear of being too much, this conversation will help you break out of the mold and start owning your power.
Must-Hear Insights and Key Moments
The moment Enrique realized he was living a “dual life” and how he changed it.
Why siloing different parts of yourself weakens your leadership.
The wake-up call that came from his wife—and changed everything.
The power of listening as a leadership superpower.
How to lead with authenticity in high-pressure environments like the military.
Why being “you” might be the boldest asset your team needs.
The hard truth about fitting in vs. standing out.
Real talk on culture, identity, and playing someone else’s role.
Words of Wisdom: Standout Quotes from This Episode
“Once you can step into who you are at your core—even all your little quirks—that’s when people are drawn to you.” - Courtney Turich
“While we think it feels safe, honestly, it’s suffocating.” - Courtney Turich
“The best you can do is to be yourself. That’s when your true leadership will come through.” - Courtney Turich
“People’s words have power. And if you can let them be heard, that is power in itself.” - Courtney Turich
“We’re all just trying to fit into a mold—but maybe it’s time to smash it instead.” - Courtney Turich
“You’re either living in truth or you’re living a lie—there’s no in-between.” - Enrique Acosta Gonzalez
“Stop playing somebody else’s role. Just play yours. Be excellent at it.” - Enrique Acosta Gonzalez
“When you stop siloing your life, you start enriching other people’s lives.” - Enrique Acosta Gonzalez
“The world doesn’t need a copy. It needs the one and only you.” - Enrique Acosta Gonzalez
“You are a treasure. Hug that truth and walk in it.” - Enrique Acosta Gonzalez
About Enrique
Enrique Acosta Gonzalez is a leadership and career developer on a mission to stop bad leadership before it starts. After experiencing the harm caused by unqualified leaders early in his career, he’s committed to helping aspiring and current leaders grow before they do damage—intentionally or not.
A 26-year Navy veteran, Enrique is a bestselling author, award-winning podcaster, and decorated mentor. He brings decades of leadership experience across military and civilian sectors, and he’s known for his no-fluff, real-talk approach to leadership, growth, and impact.
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BLOG TRANSCRIPT
Note: We use AI transcription so there may be some inaccuracies
Courtney Turich: Hey, it's your friend and host, Courtney Turich, and welcome to Bold Moves, confident Choices, the podcast where we own our path, make fearless decisions, and get real about what it takes to turn bold ideas into reality. All right, friends, I need you to buckle up because today's guest brings the fire. This guest is Enrique Acosta Gonzalez, and he's a 26 year Navy vet turned leadership disruptor.
And Ricki has been named one of the top 200 thought leaders, top 10 inspiring leaders and Global Executive Coach of the year. He's a six time bestselling author, a leadership podcaster with a amazing global reach. Beyond that, he's a global he's, he's a certified John Maxwell coach, a no bullshit mentor, a man on a mission to call leaders up and not out.
Shit, Enrique. I'm a little rough right now. Let's pull that back in. Okay.
Enrique Acosta Gonzalez: Just go with it. Don't, don't, don't try to perfect it. It it, it'll be too fake.
Stop Playing the Role: How Self-Awareness Transforms Leadership
Courtney Turich: Oh my gosh. Okay. We're gonna keep going because that's a good See you just, you just help me. You just called me out. Let's keep this going. We're gonna start by, he is a certified John Maxwell coach.
A no bullshit mentor. And a man on a mission to call leaders up, not out. If you're ready to stop playing small and start leading with power, purpose, and unapologetic impact, this one's for you. So Enrique, let's dive in and talk some bold moves, my friend. How are you today?
Enrique Acosta Gonzalez: Oh, thank you Courtney, for having me.
I'm doing great Post birthday. I can't complain. You know, one, one more year around the sun. Right?
Courtney Turich: That's a very special day and one to be celebrated for sure. So Enrique, tell us a little bit more about yourself before we really dive into this big, pivotal move in your life.
Enrique Acosta Gonzalez: Yeah. I mean, if you go online, you'll find a lot, because I talk, a lot of people have, uh, spotlighted me or whatever.
But, uh, if I was to encapsulate all that, I'm just a, a young boy from Puerto Rico, raised there, grew up in New York, joined the Navy, saw the world, I loved it, and am trying now to help others get where they know they should be faster. But without all the bumps. Right. So that's it in a nutshell.
Courtney Turich: Well, Enrique, so everyone out there, we know each other through a community called The Outlier Project, and I've been so honored to be surrounded by someone like Enrique who has, it sounds like you've lived multiple lives, Enrique like this.
Your life continues to go on and on, and how long have you been in this new evolution of your life?
Enrique Acosta Gonzalez: Yeah, the new evolution. I would say began right around 2014 or so where, uh, my wife called me out talk about, talk about calling people out. Um, she made me aware of something that I was not. Mm-hmm. And it was specifically in leadership.
I had a young group of newly minted chiefs. Uh, those are e sevens in the Navy. Uh, and I had them over for a chitchat, signatures and all the nice little things that we do during that season for them. And apparently I was unaware. One of them came and spoke to my wife in private and they had asked, is this the senior chief that's here like that?
Because he's not like that at work, and they have seen. A jovial, happy go lucky, smiling, just having fun kind of guy. But that's not what they saw at work. Now you know, it's the military, but I realized that I had been cheating them out of my fullness. Mm-hmm. And when, um. Uh, she apparently told them, I don't know what version you got, but you keep that one over there and I'll keep this one over here.
And, uh, so that really made me aware that I was, uh, living a dual life and not helping, although in the military setting, maybe helping them, I wasn't helping them fully. And so that time I decided to integrate all of me. Everything I did and it changed everything.
Courtney Turich: Wow. What a story. And so when you say integrate everything you did in life to, to blend together, what was that process like?
Enrique Acosta Gonzalez: Yeah, it was tough at first because I had siloed my life. You know, I was a minister at the same time, so I, you know, I did the church. I did the military, I did the sports I, everything was siloed. And when I was operating in each one, I was the best version of that. But then again, I wasn't giving everybody everything that I could, you know, given all my experiences.
So, although it was tough, I started to see better results. I started to see more impacted lives. I started to see real transformative change in people because now they had all of me.
Courtney Turich: Mm. Wow. Uh, so Enrique, you talk about basically it's almost like you had your blinders on for each role that you had to show up at.
And is that, why do you believe you felt you needed to show up in that way? Initially?
Enrique Acosta Gonzalez: I think it was my first three years. So, uh, that first three years in the military was tumultuous in terms of how I experienced being an American. Uh, it was, I, it was not the same for me as it was for everybody else. Uh, so when I had gotten challenged because of my accent, because of my color, whatever it may have been.
I said, well, in each place I am, I have to be this particular, uh, description of what a person would be in that role. And then I started to compartmentalize each role with a persona, basically. Mm-hmm. And so that's how all of that came about.
Courtney Turich: Enrique that makes so much sense for many of us in the corporate world, where, especially as a female in the corporate world, we, I, I know that I have tried to fit myself in this box and in the rule role, uh, to make sure that I am, I'm matching what they believe is perfection or what that should be.
So what a wild thought to think that you experienced that the same way. The Navy and coming over from Puerto Rico and that you felt that is what you needed to do to fit in.
Enrique Acosta Gonzalez: Yeah, and a lot of people do. They, they're, they won't claim it, but if you really think about, most people do, and it's because we have this idea that there is a perfect description of what a, whatever you might want to call it.
Right, right. A CEO. There's this thing they don't mix and they don't this and that and the other, you know, so it's be, it'll be wise for people to start identifying, Hey, I'm doing that and I need to stop because at the end of the day, all these people gonna go away. I may be in a bed somewhere. No one's gonna, all these people ain't gonna visit me, right?
So let me be me. Let me be me. The best of me, all of me. And then if they like it or not, that's their decision.
Courtney Turich: So in the Navy, Enrique, like it is very easy to be put in the box. Mm-hmm. So what are ways that you can share, what are three things you can tell the audience of how to move into becoming their true, authentic person?
Because I'm sure it wasn't easy, or maybe it was. Mm-hmm.
Enrique Acosta Gonzalez: Well, I'll tell you that from that moment with my wife bringing that up to me. I was in, I was in charge. I was the senior enlisted leader of a group of 50 mixed military civilian, so it was the CEO XO and myself. We were the tri, what we call Triad.
And prior to that, this was a off to the side type of command. Nobody was really giving them too much love. And they were just, you know, serving their time there and moving out. By the time I was done with all of my process and then now giving them all of my process
Courtney Turich: mm-hmm.
Enrique Acosta Gonzalez: We had, by the time I was Ghana, there, we had the seat, uh, the sailor of the year, of the entire claimancy come out of that command.
The very first chief warrant officer in 45 years come out of that command. I left there with three medals. Incredible. So we, we had promotions and we had, uh, retention awards, and that's what happens. Leaders, when you stop playing the silo game, you truly enrich your people. It, it ended up being the one of the most famous commands from the claimant.
See? Uh, and it was all because one person made somebody aware and then that awareness brought that change.
Courtney Turich: So really for you, it's just be more self-aware, right?
Enrique Acosta Gonzalez: It starts there. Yeah, it can't start anywhere else. You, you have to, you have to know it and then own it. And once you own it, you can, you can make changes.
Courtney Turich: So when your wife brought this up to you, Enrique, did you, could you point it out? Could you feel it?
Enrique Acosta Gonzalez: Oh, immediately. Yeah. I, I knew it. It wasn't like it. No. Everybody that's playing this game knows that they are. Right, right. Yeah. A woman that is trying to play a role of a man knows they are. Because when they come home, you feel the weight
Courtney Turich: for sure.
Enrique Acosta Gonzalez: You know that you have been playing this person that you're not just because, uh, that the environment, you think the environment requires it
Courtney Turich: right
Enrique Acosta Gonzalez: When we actually are requiring you to be the best and just be you though.
Leading with Truth, Courage, and Deep Listening
Courtney Turich: I love it. Well, Enrique, this is a, that was a really pivotal moment in your life. So let me ask, because I have a feeling you have a lot of bold moves that have happened throughout your years.
Mm-hmm. What would you say is that big, bold, pivotal moment in your life that took you to the next level, personally or professionally?
Enrique Acosta Gonzalez: When I decided to stop living a lie and live in truth.
Courtney Turich: Hmm.
Enrique Acosta Gonzalez: That was it. Um, I was embracing a lot of lies in my life. Instead of saying, no, that's not who I am, and that's not what I'm gonna do.
And as a leader, if you live as a leader, you do one or two things. You either live by truth or you live by lies, and you gotta decide which one you're gonna be happy with at the end.
Courtney Turich: So Enrique, we have a lot of leaders out here listening in and who are trying to be more of themself. Mm-hmm. They're trying to become more self-aware, but also they're still, you know, where they're in that corporate box.
They're trying to fit the mold, they're trying to get that next level promotion. How can you help guide us and them? To start breaking down those walls to show who you are at the core and that that is the way to true leadership.
Enrique Acosta Gonzalez: If you are yourself and you're still being an asset to your company, you don't have nothing of fear, you don't have anything to fear, all they care about is your you being an asset.
Don't be a liability, right? But if being you is a liability, you might want to get another job, right? Um, just consider that you may be cheating the world out by playing somebody else's role. Don't do it. Just play your role. Be excellent at it. Be an asset, and you will see some good things come your way.
Maybe that company's not right for you. As you are. And so there's some courageous decisions you have to make, right? It's, it takes courage to live you in this world. It does. So I always say, bet on you. You are the best asset this world can have, but only if it's truly you. Everybody else got a copy, so you know.
Courtney Turich: Yeah. Wow. And I, I obviously live a lot of what you're saying, and it took me some time to figure that out in life myself, Enrique, and interesting enough, I, I was writing a post today about my experience back on Shark Tank, and you know, now looking forward how even in that moment I wasn't myself, like I was dimming my light, then my true, authentic self wasn't even on that stage.
And once you can step into who you are at your core, even all your little quirks, that's when people are drawn to you. Mm-hmm. And that's when you help others shine up or raise up to the best of the, of their, of their own self. Right. So you've talked to millions of leaders, Enrique and everyone, you need to check out Enrique's podcast.
He, and just follow him. He has a huge, huge following and he is talked to some incredible people. What do you see out of these leaders beyond just being themself? You know, we all want that role, uh, that toolkit, that rural book of being the best leader. What are some things you can share with us from all these leaders that you have spoken to that really resonate, resonate with you, and you're like, this is what I need to keep bringing to the surface beyond being yourself.
Enrique Acosta Gonzalez: So that change that I spoke about would've never came had I not been able to listen to my wife and accept her knowledge and accept. That she had something that was groundbreaking for me. So as leaders, there comes a time when we think that we don't need a particular thing because, oh, I know this.
Courtney Turich: Mm-hmm.
Enrique Acosta Gonzalez: Don't close your ears as a leader, do not close your ears. There's wisdom that comes from children that will astound you, and it's only because you lLearn to forget. So keep your ears open, keep your heart humble enough to accept some of the things, though painful as they may be, because others see what we cannot.
And when they come with that advice or that word or that encouragement or whatever it may be, uh, be humble enough to say. Maybe I am doing that, I'm not sure, but let me explore it because it may be true and you will be surprised how many leaders have stopped listening and it is probably the major complaint of most people.
My leader doesn't listen, so if I could say anything, it would be that.
Courtney Turich: And when you listen as a leader, what does that provide to your team?
Enrique Acosta Gonzalez: It provides a lot of things because number one, a leader that listens gets some favor from their team. Like he might not be perfect, but he listens and he's willing to do this, that and the other.
For the sake of what? And also your team is being heard. Oh my. The, those things are, you can't calculate the impact. Of a team that feels that they're being heard by their leader and it, it's gonna differ from every, for every leader because every team is different. But I'll tell you one thing that may be the same.
Your people will start to love you and not just listen to you. Right?
Courtney Turich: Yeah. At the end of the day, we all want to be heard. Mm-hmm. On some level. Uh, and I'm gonna call myself out Enrique. I recently, somebody was giving some feedback and I personally squashed it in the moment, and I walked away from that and I thought, shame on you, Courtney.
Shame on me because you know what? They had every right to be heard. And at that moment I just made a shift in the culture or the energy in that space to make people feel that it's not okay to speak up. And that was at the moment as a leader, that I had to take accountability and apologize for that behavior because it can impact culture.
Enrique Acosta Gonzalez: Yeah. It's, it's, it's hard. I, I'm not gonna say it's easy, right? Uh mm-hmm. Everybody's got their, their view of themselves and, and this or that. But the moment we stop listening. And I'm, it's not hearing, it's listening. Um, we start to, you know, number our days.
Courtney Turich: Yes, it is.
You’re Not Broken You’re Just Not Being You
Courtney Turich: Yes. So, Enrique, when you think back to your younger self mm-hmm.
What would you tell Enrique at 18 years old today?
Enrique Acosta Gonzalez: I would say there's nothing wrong with you. Hmm. There is nothing wrong with you. Um, yeah, I, I suffered some hard, hard times my first three years in the military, but because I was believing the narrative that there was something wrong with me, I created somebody that I couldn't live with.
And so for the young people out there. That are getting all of this, you know what's wrong with your generation? Believe me, I've heard that over, you know, 50 years of different generations. That's not gonna change. People are just like that. There's nothing wrong with you. Find what you love, find what you're passionate about.
Do it with your heart's content. And impact how you are, don't change it because then we'll have a diluted version of what God created and nobody wants that.
Courtney Turich: Yeah. So Enrique, I mean, that right there is really powerful and goes into your message of just being you as a leader. At what age or how long did it take you to figure that out?
Enrique Acosta Gonzalez: I would say about five years ago now I'm 54.
Courtney Turich: Yeah,
Enrique Acosta Gonzalez: that's a long time living thinking that there's something wrong.
Courtney Turich: Yeah. So that's
Enrique Acosta Gonzalez: why, that's why I bring that up. Uh, I, I want to avoid you of the experience of decades of feeling like there's something wrong. When, when there really isn't,
Courtney Turich: you know, we're all trying to fit in this mold again.
You know, Enrique, especially when we look at social media and all the outside noise and fitting in that mold feels safe.
Enrique Acosta Gonzalez: It's, it's what they call, uh, de safe, deceptive safety is deceptive. Mm-hmm. Um, you're only making somebody feel good about themselves. You're, you're making yourself feel worse.
Courtney Turich: Yeah.
Enrique Acosta Gonzalez: Yeah. And, and those people can't even remember your name right now, so.
Courtney Turich: Exactly. Right. While we think it feels safe, Enrique, honestly, it's suffocating.
Enrique Acosta Gonzalez: Yeah.
Courtney Turich: Until you really can just come out and be who you are.
Enrique Acosta Gonzalez: Yep.
Courtney Turich: Yeah. Well, so Enrique, there's so much that we have talked about in this short amount of time, which has been incredible, and I'm walking away from the conversation reflecting already on what you've shared, and that is be you, right? Just if anyone out there, whether you're leader or you are an aspiring leader, the best you can do is to be yourself.
That is when your true leadership will come through. Next is to listen. Keep your ears open because people's words have power. And if you can let them be heard that that is power in itself as a leader. And last, have a humble heart, and then know that you're worth it and you've got what it takes to conquer this world.
You Are a Treasure Worth Believing In
So as we walk away here, Enrique, what would you like to leave everyone else with? Anything else?
Enrique Acosta Gonzalez: Yeah. You're, you're a treasure. You're, you are a treasure. And if you don't realize that, man, I'm sorry. I'm sorry. That, that the world has presented you something where you can something else. There is only one person like you, one at any given time.
I don't know if it's just because I'm getting older, you know, it's more like present you, you are a treasure and you need to just hug that and say, and tell and tell it to yourself. You know, look in the mirror, you are a treasure. There's no, we all have flaws, but there's only one. You and I need this. I need that one.
You. This world needs that one you to play the role that you were given to play, not somebody else's. So, uh, if I would, yeah, you're a treasure. I'll leave it there.
Courtney Turich: I know so many people needed to hear that today, Enrique. So thank you so much. If anybody wants to find and reach you, where do they go?
Enrique Acosta Gonzalez: Yeah, the best place to find me is LinkedIn.
You can get all my info there and contact info and all of that.
Courtney Turich: Awesome. And check him out on YouTube as well. Um, he's definitely heavily evolved, involved over there, but Enrique, again, thank you so much for being here today and sharing your leadership with us here at Bold Moves Confident Choices.
Enrique Acosta Gonzalez: Oh, thank you for having me.
Courtney Turich: You're so welcome. And to everyone out there, go be bold, be confident, and be you. Thanks.
You made me a little nervous.
