On Authenticity
I’ve been pondering for a while now what authenticity means. We advocate for the true self, which is the authentic, “real” person underneath social conditioning and pressure.
The authentic person is honest, courageous, non-judgmental, self-respecting, and practices integrity. This means an authentic person will speak up when disrespected, and be consistent in aligning her actions with her thoughts and words.
When we expand this to a team view, The Conscious Leadership Group gives us a rich view of what an authentic team looks like compared to a pseudo team. The authentic team can be characterized as one that takes responsibility for its actions, shows compassion, fosters open communication, and is creative. By contrast, a pseudo team contains a lot of judgment, complaining, secret meetings, micromanaging, and a resulting loss of creativity and engagement.
As you consider your current professional situation, where are you in the spectrum of authenticity – are you being true to yourself and is your team thriving? Let me know in the comments.
Being your authentic self means many things, including being honest, and courageous, respecting yourself, and living in integrity. Photo Credit: Steve Halama