The Authentic Organization

2The Authentic Self

“Being your Authentic Self at work means being vulnerable” is often the first statement leaders and managers make when delving into the concept of the Authentic Self. I want to address this head-on because the Authentic Self is an important concept to understand.

Right now, you are presenting a carefully curated and censored version of yourself. It is a version honed over years to fit in and be accepted. You censor your appearance, your behaviors, body language, mannerisms, what you say, do and how you communicate. Think of it like configuring privacy settings on your laptop. For one user, you'll let them see X. For a different user, you'll let them see X and Y. You show up wearing different “masks” for different scenarios, extending beyond your personal and social life to the version you present at work.

Let me take you back to where it all began. Picture yourself at birth, the authentic real you, as shown in Figure 2.1. This is your Authentic Self.

When you came into this world, you were a blank slate. Innocent, unburdened, unfiltered. Imagine yourself as a brand-new device with factory settings.

As you grew up, you reached a point in your development where you became more conscious and started to question the world around you. Internal dialogues formed, where you started asking questions such as: Why does my brother get more of my parents' attention than I do? Am I not loved? Am I not good enough? Why am I not as slim/tall/clever as everyone else in my ...