Source: Fortune
Summary
Professor Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic argues that authenticity is overrated in the workplace, as it can hinder a leader’s ability to advocate for their team and make decisions. He suggests that being a chameleon and adapting to different situations can be more effective than having a static set of values and strategies. Chamorro-Premuzic’s book “Don’t Be Yourself: Why Authenticity Is Overrated (and What to Do Instead)” explores the importance of limiting transparency and adapting to others in the workplace. Other thought leaders, including Marc Andreessen and Evy Poumpouras, have also spoken out against the idea of bringing one’s authentic self to work.
Our Reading
The strategy enters a familiar phase.
Chamorro-Premuzic’s argument against workplace authenticity is not about separating the personal from professional, but about identifying strategies that make you better at leading in your workplace. He suggests that managing one’s impression of themselves to others can be more effective than having a static set of values and strategies. The authenticity paradox is that being a chameleon and adapting to different situations can actually make you come across as more trustworthy and competent to others.
Chamorro-Premuzic’s approach is not about being disingenuous, but about developing an intuition that people may see as its own form of authenticity. The irony is that by disciplining or editing our authenticity, we may actually come across as more trustworthy and competent to others.
The announcement sounds familiar: leaders are reevaluating the importance of authenticity in the workplace.
The numbers tell one story: Chamorro-Premuzic’s research found that managing one’s impression of themselves to others was associated with greater leadership effectiveness.
One original observation: The authenticity debate is not about being true to oneself, but about being effective in the workplace.
Author: Evan Null
