The seemingly simple advice to “be your authentic self” has many leaders confused. Just recently, Lynn spoke at an inclusion summit, and during the subsequent fireside chat, she was asked, “What does it truly mean to be authentic, and why is it important?” This reminded both of us of the many discussions our author trio had about the true meaning and importance of authenticity when we were writing Arrive & Thrive: 7 Impactful Practices for Women Navigating Leadership.

When we think about authenticity, one question continues to plague us: If the job you can never fail at is being yourself, why do so many struggle at it?

Authenticity Defined: Spoiler Alert – It’s About Honesty

On the surface, it might seem that a consensus exists about the meaning of authenticity; there is indeed, widespread agreement that authenticity refers to that which is “real” or “genuine” or “true.” Below the surface, however, there is much less agreement about the meaning of authenticity. Researchers and scholars define authenticity in various ways depending on their specific social science discipline, resulting in a wide range of definitions.

Here’s where we land: Authenticity means we approach any challenge or opportunity from our best and most genuine, transparent self.

At the 2021 Simmons Leadership Conference, 6,725 registrants were surveyed about the importance of authenticity in the workplace. We wanted to know what people thought authenticity really means – and what its impact is on individuals and organizations. A key finding is that people define authenticity in the workplace in terms of ethical integrity.

By a significant margin, honesty was cited as the top-most important personal quality defining an individual’s authenticity. Arguably, transparency and openness are subsets of honesty, and combined, these three words (honest, transparency, and openness) represent 41% of all responses. Confidence was the next most cited quality of authenticity.

Balancing Honesty with Professionalism to Build Trust and Followership

Being our authentic, honest self doesn’t mean we eschew filters and boundaries in our self-expression.  Both men and women have to remain sensitive to levels of professionalism as it relates to authenticity in the workplace. We have seen women less comfortable being authentic, and less willing to share the things they have grappled with personally and professionally. This has been true for us at times in our careers.

Our willingness to share in contextually appropriate and honest ways is so important for building followership and the next generation of leaders. In a survey that Deloitte conducted on “covering” – a term coined in 1963 to describe how individuals with identities that are known to be stigmatized make a great effort to keep the stigma from looming large—countless respondents noted the impact that authenticity from an organization’s top levels could have on their own openness and honesty. As one respondent put it, “Leaders have to uncover first. If they don’t, we won’t.”

It’s not a revelation: There are many leaders who progress in organizational leadership who are not authentic. They may be concerned with looking good and thus, comfortable bending (or hiding from) the truth. You likely know leaders who behave in these and other ways who simply can’t build trust with others inside their organization.

The reality is that they leave a wake behind them, and often do real damage. Former CEO and Chairman of Medtronic and author of the bestselling book, True North, Bill George says it best: “If you want to be effective as a leader, then you must be an authentic leader. If you are not authentic, the best people won’t want to work with you, and they won’t give you their best work.”

Uncover Your True Self with Our 5-Question Checklist

Your goal in building your own authenticity begins with discovering your own depth and breadth of what makes you the real you. If, like us, you agree with Carla Harris, Senior Client Advisor at Morgan Stanley and author of Lead to Win, your authenticity is your competitive advantage. Carla says: “Nobody can be you the way that you can be you.” Inevitably, your discovery and application will enable you to bring out your best self and inspire others to be their best self, too.

While our Institute for Inclusive Leadership offers several tools on how to go about the ongoing work of staying true to yourself and understanding what it means for you to lead authentically, we invite you to reflect and explore this concept further using our 5-question checklist, which focuses on the top five behaviors associated with authenticity in the workplace.

Take the time to ask yourself these questions and observe what comes up for you:

1. When you make a mistake, do you own it and try to make things better?
2. Do you try to ensure that your actions have a positive impact on others?
3. Do you strive to tell the truth even if the news is bad?
4. Are you able to act according to your personal values?
5. Does who you are (your identity) align with how you present yourself at work?

Untangling Authenticity Doesn’t Need to be a Solo Sport

Gather your virtual or in-person teammates together and discuss this multifaceted topic out loud! We want you to be your best, most transparent self – so you can, with intention, lead a life of significance and impact, inspiring those around you to do the same. Remember, sharing your journey fosters connection and growth, creating a supportive environment where everyone can thrive. Embrace the journey together and celebrate the unique contributions each of you brings.

Are you interested in exploring other practices from Arrive & Thrive? Read the first post in this series: Breaking Free from Self-Doubt: How to Reconnect with Your Best Self.