The Art of Authenticity

5Self-Awareness or is it Selves Awareness?

“We define authenticity as the unobstructed operation of one's true or core self in one's daily enterprise. However, instead of viewing authenticity as a single unitary process, we suggest that authenticity can be broken down into four separate, but interrelated components.”

—Michael Kernis and Brian Goldman¹

The way we use the notion of self-awareness in business is incomplete. You will learn exactly what critical pieces are missing in this chapter and come away equipped with understanding to help you become both more authentic and effective. The concept of selves awareness encompasses all of the ways that you are like all other people, like some other people, and like no other person.

You are also entering the section of the book in which we dig into the key learnings from research in psychology for insight on how to become more authentic instead of less authentic as we grow across the lifespan. Becoming more authentic will not happen naturally or without effort and intention. We all face both internal and external barriers as we seek to express our authenticity. Organizations of all kinds exert pressures to behave in very specific ways. That is what makes an organization efficient. The internal barriers that keep us from being more authentic are usually rooted in our unique histories. Being authentic as a leader requires a commitment ...