Do I need Authenticity for my promotion?

This phrase, authentic has somehow slipped into our vocabulary without much of our conscious awareness these days.

During a TED talk, Jun 2018 by Prof Herminia Ibarra where she highlighted the soar of the use of the work “authenticity” from about 100 to nearly 300 over a period of ten years in the Business Press either in headlines or lead paragraphs. Likewise, the number of books in amazon on this topic has also risen drastically with about 20,000 books – on how to be authentic.

In fact, while writing about this, a conversation  that happened 2 year ago with a female executive came to mind.   The conversation has left me with such an impression that I remember to this day.  In our dialogue,  she mentioned that her boss has told her that she is excellent in her work, networking, what she needs is to work on her authenticity.  But she wasn’t sure what  does that actually constitute to ?

Exactly? What is authenticity that one needs to work on. It does not seem to make any sense, of course I am authentic, aren’t you? 

Yet, this is the hot topic these days, so much so that it has somehow become a pre-requisition in leadership position.

WHY? 

Authenticity helps organisation….

If you google for the definition of authenticity, you will find this “ of undisputed origin and not a copy; genuine”.

But too often, this knowledge does not serve us.   Because in reality, we are not born to lead, we learn to lead. 

How has authenticity got to do with leadership especially aren’t we already authentic since we are supposedly unique, one of a kind. 

A leader leads, not follow or copy or imitate yet to be able to lead, the leader must first learn, and who is in the better position to lead other than who are already leading.    You see, you and me, learn to lead from our role model, just like a child model after their parents, this is our inherent trait marks as a person.

From its beginnings over 500 years ago, the ideal of authenticity has been embedded in the value system of modern Western civilization.   “To thine own self be true” from a character in Shakespeare’s  Hamlet, reflect  that in each of us, according to this ideal, has our own path to tread, determined by our unique combination of traits and potentials.

Authentic Leadership  emphasis transparency, genuineness and honesty.  This way, the leaders inspire trust in their employees, and trust is the base to whatever work we do in an organization or any relationship we want to build.

In other words, to be an effective leader, one must be authentic to who they are, not try to take on a different personality in the name of leadership. (Sure there are skills that all leaders should master like, communication, delegation and giving effective feedback.) And the leaders do not try to hide or change who they are down.

Employees, simultaneously want to be able to show their full, authentic selves at work which has become  a growing trend that companies are honouring with measures targeting inclusion and belonging.

However, if there is no psychological safety—or the degree to which someone feels they can be authentic without fear of negative consequences—these measures can only go so far. In order to cultivate psychological safety, authenticity must start at the top—with authentic leadership.    This authenticity means the wiling to show the true, imperfect side of them, yes that vulnerability , that inclusive, that empathy, to accept to recognise the individualism, the uniqueness of each.

And you, as the leader when you lead with your authenticity,  what is that message you are relaying to your people, your employees?