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Behavior is what we see on the surface. It tells only the outer layer of the story.

Hidden drivers, often formed in childhood, steer all of us, usually without our noticing.

Every driver has a shadow side. The danger isn't having one; it's refusing to see it.

I’m writing from the Hamptons. It’s the off-season, and the place feels like a small town, albeit a small town full of influential people, big thinkers, and, yes, some big egos. Almost everyone here is talking about You Can See Everything.

“Do you believe her? Aren’t her eyes crazy? Is she a narcissist? And what about her partner? Was he the real villain?”

It’s human nature to sort people into categories. We want to figure out what happened, so we won’t get fooled ourselves. We want a villain and a victim. We also want to feel better about ourselves, because at least we’re not “that crazy.” And it makes good theater.

If you haven’t seen the film: In the 34 days before Elizabeth Holmes reported to federal prison, she and her partner, Billy Evans, let a film crew led by Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim record nearly every move. On the surface, the goal seemed to be showing them as everyday parents: raising their kids, walking on the beach, making eggs.

The title makes a promise: full access, nothing hidden, the real person behind the headlines at last.

The movie is disorienting. It took me a while to process. I won’t share all my thoughts here, but one has stayed with me: A camera can see everything on the surface. It can’t see the hidden drivers underneath.

A camera records behavior: what we say, how we stand, the stories we tell. It rarely captures the why. Under every polished performance and every bad decision, a hidden driver is steering. Unless you’re looking for it, you’ll miss it.

In my work as an executive coach, I use an assessment that uncovers these drivers and lays out the good, the bad, and the ugly in each one. I didn’t create it, and to be clear, it isn’t a personality test. It measures drive: the deep needs that push us forward.

I’ve never assessed Elizabeth Holmes, and I won’t guess at what drives her. But I have coached many founders and tech leaders, and her story reminds me of one of them. She happens to be a woman, but many men fall into the same trap. Her story shows what happens when hidden drivers go unseen.

A Cautionary Case Study

A few years ago, I was asked to assess the hidden drivers of a senior leader.........

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