Modern CTO Tech Titans: How to Stop Fitting In and Start Leading with Tony Martignetti
Apr 23, 2026
Tony Martignetti, executive coach and author known for Campfire Lessons for Leaders, shares his journey from artist to coach. He explores why people hide parts of themselves at work. He explains leaving the room to change the room. He highlights curiosity, compassion, and connection as keys to building psychological safety and long-term change.
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Leaving The Room To Change The Room
- Tony left a biotech boardroom and decided to "leave the room to change the room" when he could no longer hide his true self at work.
- He burned out after suppressing his artistic side in analytic corporate cultures and clawed back through meditation, therapy, and a conscious exit and pivot to coaching.
Being A Circle In A Square World Can Change The World
- Staying in a mismatched culture can be a choice to change that environment rather than just finding a new fit.
- Tony's art background about shaping environments translated into his work of reshaping organizational culture.
Own The Parts You'd Rather Hide
- If parts of your "true self" feel unacceptable, own them and face them rather than hide; use patience and a process to transform them.
- Tony says asking existential questions like "Who am I?" helps reframe disliked traits as parts of a growth journey.
