IN MY TWENTY-FIVE YEARS OF teaching on leadership, I have found that one thing has remained unchanged: people’s strong and unflinching desire to be true to themselves, and their equally strong aversion to doing things that make them feel like fakes. One of the most important motivators of any behavior is the belief that it is a fundamental expression of ourselves. That is exactly what gets us into trouble. Even when it comes to the most basic of leadership skills—listening, for example—people who are not very good at a skill will say that when push comes to shove, they don’t practice more of the skill, because they don’t feel genuine if they have to force themselves to do it.
Authenticity has become ...
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