Preface

If you would have told me three years ago that I would be writing a book on authenticity, of all things, I would have laughed. The topic made me feel vaguely uncomfortable. I have often felt that being my true self was in conflict with meeting my goals, which were also a part of me; not in big ways, but in small ways that felt slowly corrosive. (And I have never done anything remotely criminal aside from speeding.)

What changed? My intellectual and emotional curiosity about the topic got aroused during a continuing education program. After that workshop, I began to dig deeply into the work of Bill George, Robert Terry, and the foundational modern research on authenticity of social psychologists Michael Kernis and Brian Goldman. I discovered a rich body of literature and a topic that provoked incredible conversations. I started talking to my clients about the topic and trying to understand their views in casual conversations. I discovered I was not alone in this struggle to be true to myself and meet my goals, nor in feeling a vague sense of discomfort around the topic for similar reasons.

I also began to envision a view of authenticity from a psychological perspective, one that was pragmatic and designed to illuminate those “small” ways in which we choose to be true to ourselves—or not—and perhaps create room for new possibilities in those moments. Practically speaking, it also made sense that the more one contemplated authenticity in the small moments, the greater the likelihood one would be “in shape” to behave authentically in the big, defining moments. The more I read and talked with clients and colleagues, the more intrigued I was. I became haunted by the following question: How could we become more authentic through those small daily struggles in real, pressure-filled situations? Or practically speaking, how could we up our percentage of authentic actions? That question is the foundation of this book.

The point of view in this work is that authenticity is all about human possibility, creativity, expression, and freedom. Becoming more authentic is a grand concept and is far more than avoiding doing bad things like lying and cheating. The possibility is found in the midst of an honest appraisal of the real struggles and making choices that are more mindful and conscious. This book is about discovering the possibilities for you to be both authentic and successful at the same time. The book brings you the most relevant tools and insights from psychology. However, becoming a version of you that is both authentic and effective is your art to bring to the world. Hence, the title The Art of Authenticity.

The text is organized in three separate sections. Part 1 consists of three chapters and is titled “A New Vision of Authenticity.” The goal of this section is to refine and contemporize the concept for the digital age. In Chapter 1, “The Digital Era of Freedom and Fear,” the connection between authenticity and modern workplace realities is explored. Strong forces such as the flattening of hierarchy and globalization have created a macro environment in which becoming more authentic could very well be more adaptive than just doing your job and blending in. Beginning in Chapter 1 and in each subsequent chapter, the chapter closes with practical workouts designed to help leaders develop skills in becoming more authentic in real-life work situations. In Chapter 2, “Signature Contributions vs. Conformity,” readers are challenged to contemplate what is unique about themselves as individuals. What is the unique combination of skills and perspective that only you can bring? It takes extra effort to tune into yourself and figure out what you really want and need to contribute. This new, practical view of authenticity requires you to go deep and think really hard about situations and who you want to be instead of just being on autopilot and conforming. Having signature contributions that are obvious when your name is mentioned is the litmus test for authenticity.

Chapter 3, “Truth, Lies, and Authenticity,” brings the first foundational section of the book to a close with an exploration of overlapping and confusing terms such as truth, honesty, and transparency. We all think of transparency, truth, and honesty as being part of authentic leadership. But in reality there are lots of ways of interpreting terms such as truth, honesty, and transparency. We explore less-than- straightforward questions such as the value of being brutally honest if you know it is going to harm either a person or a business. Seeking the truth is a continual quest, and being brutally honest is a behavioral choice in a specific situation that could be harmful to others.

The second part of the book, “The Science of Authenticity,” takes the reader on a journey through what we have learned about authenticity from the science of psychology. The big insight from social psychology is that authenticity is not just one thing but a multiple component variable. Authenticity consists of at least four variables, all of which have a chapter in this section. But we begin the section with Chapter 4, “Followers Beware…of Charisma,” a look at how many people mistake charisma for authenticity. Charisma is a separate and distinct characteristic from authenticity. However, most of us have been taken in at some point by someone who was very charismatic but did not turn out to be genuine in the long run. The reality is that charismatic, larger-than-life leaders may or may not be authentic. This chapter outlines what team members should be on the alert for and notice in order to figure out whether or not their leader is actually genuine or just has a great show.

In Chapter 5, “Self-Awareness or Is it Selves Awareness?” we explore the first component of authenticity discovered in the quantitative psychological research. Not surprisingly, self-awareness is one of the components of authenticity. However, this chapter gets real and takes on the notion of one consistent self that is so prevalent in ordinary business conversations. The reality is that we all have multiple sides and facets, which are compounded by multiple role demands. Common knowledge states that people behave in certain ways due to their personalities. In reality, much of our behavior is determined by the situation. This chapter will help the reader become more authentic by developing greater selves awareness.

We delve into the second component of authenticity in “Chapter 6: Balanced Processing and Collaborative Decision Making.” Balanced processing is about blending your thought process with the thought processes of others without a bias toward your view. Nothing may be more important in today's collaborative business environment than this skill of balanced processing. Balanced processing is a part of good decision making as well as authenticity. The construct is fully explored through the use of real-world examples. Readers are challenged to develop their own balanced processing skills through seeking out opposing views and actually listening carefully.

The third component of a psychological model of authenticity is relational transparency. The realities of transparency in the real world are explored in Chapter 7, which is titled “Relational Transparency and Honest Conversations.” Why can it be so difficult to have an honest conversation in a modern corporation about what is really happening with your project or the business as a whole? The case study of Alan Mulally and the remarkable turnaround at Ford is used as an example of the power of honest conversations. The chapter also explores how the rules are changing regarding the emotional transparency that is expected of leaders about who they are as people, which may not be directly relevant to business issues. The times are changing quickly and the rules and expectations regarding both intellectual and emotional transparency are in a state of flux.

The fourth component of a psychological model of authenticity is explained in Chapter 8, “Internalized Moral Perspective/An Active Unique GPS System.” This chapter explains the terrain of moral psychology and helps the reader make sense of both moral and immoral behavior. It is only through a willingness to look at our own self-righteous thinking and feelings that we can actually live in accordance with our own values. The chapter draws heavily on the work of Jonathan Haidt, who has clarified that morality is primarily driven by intuition and gut reactions, not cognition.

In the third and final part of the book, “The Master Class,” we delve into the more complex insights that must be translated into daily behavior in order to become a more authentic leader as you are facing the pressures of day-to-day situations. Chapter 9 kicks off the final section and is titled “The Centrality of Conscious Choice.” We all make thousands of choices every day. Many of them are conscious, and perhaps more are totally unconscious. The path toward greater authenticity requires that leaders become more conscious of all the choices they are making. This chapter debunks the idea that you have little control over your real self. Readers are challenged through the work of Dr. Ellen Langer on scientific mindfulness to choose more and react less.

Next, we move from conscious choice into the realm of organizational culture in Chapter 10, “How to Read Culture Like an Anthropologist.” Organizations are highly variable in terms of cultures, and authentic leaders must bring great skill in understanding organizations as cultures. You are both authentic and/or effective in a specific organizational culture. Finding a good cultural fit is critical if you are to grow as an authentic leader. Authentic leaders have the ability to shape the culture, but not if they don't understand it as it is. The reader will leave Chapter 10 with a new appreciation for making sense of human behavior in organizations through the lens of organizational culture.

We move from organizational culture to the topic of paradox in Chapter 11, “How to Make Peace with Paradox.” Real people and real decisions require us to make sense of paradox or seemingly contradictory notions. Both people and situations are inherently paradoxical. The chapter draws heavily on the work of Robert Quinn, who has identified leadership as a state of mind that is other focused instead of self-focused. All of us can shift from self-focus to other focus with skill if we know how to make peace with the paradox that is us. Human beings are by nature capable of great, unselfish feats and myopic, self-oriented behavior within the same hour. This chapter will provide readers with tools to manage their own peculiar paradoxical human nature.

For the final chapter of the book, Chapter 12, “How to Ferociously Seek the Truth When Everyone Is Framing and Spinning,” I saved the best and most complicated for last. We delve into the workplace realities and power dynamics that give rise to all the framing and spinning. The key to seeking and getting the truth is to understand that it is the leader's responsibility to create a climate in which people are safe to tell the truth. Every gesture counts, as people are always calculating just how much they can trust their leaders. Practicing virtues like truth-telling and creating trusting environments is extremely rewarding. However, we may be moving too fast to notice at times. In the final section, readers are challenged to notice what happens on an internal level when they witness virtuous behaviors like truth-telling.

In aggregate, it is my goal that you as the reader are both challenged and supported in the quest toward becoming more authentic as a leader.