Authenticity: Be True to Which Self?

We often hear the advice that as leaders we are supposed to be authentic. When we think about our social reality and how it affects our view of ourselves, we can start to identify the different selves we are in different roles. While there are many things that may be the same for us, our professional self is typically not the same as our toddler selves or teenage selves.

We also may see ourselves differently when we are on vacation versus exhausted from handling back-to-back issues versus when we care for a loved one or when we are engaged in a hobby, giving a presentation, or setting goals.

After thinking about how our idea of self is created through our biology, personal experience, and social reality, what does authenticity mean to you?

Our advice is to be authentic to the needs of the situation. The more we can understand our roles, others, and what is needed, the more we can decide how to respond.