Authenticity is all the rage—and for good reason. After all, who wants a communicator who appears fake or disingenuous?
Here’s the challenge: what does authenticity really mean? Are you most yourself when you are with your parents and grandparents? Or with a romantic partner? Or when you let loose on a Friday night after a long week? Where do you feel most credible?
Here are tips for deciding how authentic you want to be in the workplace:
- Determine what’s at stake. What are the risks and rewards of speaking authentically? Identify what’s most important to you, then stay true to those aspects of your personality and identity.
- Cultivate your aspirational authentic self. According to Herminia Ibarra, author of Act Like a Leader, Think Like a Leader, authenticity can be an excuse to hide, as in “I’m not a good public speaker.” Rather than focusing on your true current self, think broadly and see if you can operate like your aspirational self.
- It’s okay to be a chameleon to a degree. We all adapt to our environment. The “you” who attends a team meeting is not the “you” who shows up for Sunday family dinner nor the “you” who dances til 2am at your best friend’s wedding. And that’s fine. In fact, it’s career preserving. Just like your boss doesn’t want to see you argue with your siblings, the company does not need to see the CEO releasing stress by meditating in his boxers (now that’s an uncomfortable visual!)
To learn more about how you want to show up authentically, be sure to connect. I’d love to work together!
