The Case for a Professional BS Radar

When I say BS, I mean the full word. Say it out loud to whoever is sitting next to you.

This piece is about why that word matters, not just as a curse, but as a compass. Especially in coaching. Especially in leadership. Especially when you’re trying to tell the difference between what’s real and what’s rehearsed.

I use it carefully. It’s a sharp word, and its meaning can be slippery. I don’t throw it around in sessions, and I certainly don’t yell it at people. But sometimes, when a client implies it, when they’re circling around something that feels off or unspoken, I’ll paraphrase what I’m hearing and gently reflect it back, using the word they didn’t say out loud. Like: “Sounds like you’re saying your boss' unspoken expectations are kind of... BS?”

That small moment often opens up a bigger truth. That radar helps me notice when someone is reciting a script instead of articulating what they actually think or feel in the moment. It helps me slow down and ask better questions. It keeps me from buying into surface-level narratives, even my own.

Because it’s BS to assume I know what someone else is thinking, but it’s also BS to accept every word they say without digging a little deeper. Used well, the word can even be generous. It doesn’t just expose what’s false, it creates space for what’s true. It helps people pause, reassess, and reconnect to what actually matters to them.

That’s what makes it such a powerful tool in coaching. It’s not about being edgy or contrarian for the sake of it. It’s about doing the kind of coaching that doesn’t just nod along. When we work together, you’re not just getting reflection or support, you’re getting a professional BS radar on your side. One that’s sharp but respectful, and trained to help you cut through the noise so you can make better decisions, improve your well-being, advance your career, and yes, protect your money.

That radar is one of the biggest differences my clients feel. It’s what helps them stop spinning and start moving. And it’s usually more effective than their own. Cynicism, skepticism, or self-doubt can feel like a BS radar, but they’re often just tangled defense mechanisms. They’ll flag everything, including the opportunities worth trusting. My radar isn’t reactive. It’s trained. I know how to spot the difference between fear and instinct, between discomfort and misalignment. That’s the difference between staying stuck and actually moving forward.

One client came to me convinced they were just bad at managing their team. They kept saying things like, “I guess I’m just not cut out for this.” But the more we unpacked it, the more it became clear they were internalizing an impossible set of expectations,ones no leader could live up to. I reflected it back to them and showed them their own limiting story.

That moment broke something open. We reframed the issue: instead of fixing themselves to meet the unspoken standard, they began setting their own. They got clearer with their team. Pushed back on unrealistic demands. Within a few months, their performance reviews improved, their stress levels dropped, and they were offered a leadership role on a new project they actually wanted.

That’s the kind of clarity a good BS radar can create.

In leadership coaching, it’s especially useful. Corporate culture often feeds people a sanitized version of reality, and good organizations admit that, while toxic ones expect you to swallow it and smile. If you point it out, you become the problem. Because BS isn’t just a curse word. It’s what we say when we refuse to keep playing along.

For me, BS feels like home. It’s familiar, grounding, and weirdly comforting. I don’t love it, but I trust it. And it helps me help others find what’s real.

If you want a coach with a bullshit radar sharper than your own, reach out here. I won’t yell it at you, but I will help you recognize when something you’re ac

cepting might be working against you, and what to do about it.