AUTHENTICITY

We think of someone being authentic as just being themselves. But are all aspects of our life movie totally authentic, or do we adopt roles, where we want to come across as authentic, but don’t reflect who we naturally are. Situations often require of us a balanced, emotionally appropriate, significant, purposive, and responsible approach that the context expects from us a leader. 

It is our desire to be authentic that can blind us to the need to change aspects of who we are that aren’t working for us. A boss that barks orders and reacts to employees reactions as not being committed or cooperative.  They fail to see that high levels of staff turnover as the “snowflake” attitude of young people today who are too sensitive and not committed. When quizzed the boss argues that they are just being themselves and others need to toughen up and get used to them.

Sometimes authenticity can be overrated or misunderstood. In the above example, is a boss who thinks that being good at their old job makes them a good manager. They have not made the transition to what is expected in a manager role. Being prepared to listen to what others have to say did not get them where they are today.  President Trump is a good example of someone who stays in their comfort zone and is being stretched to fill what is expected in a presidential role. But new situations can require of a leader to act in sync with what the new context requires. Teaching is about more than content.  Doctors need a good bedside manner.

The autopoietic nature of our nervous system can make us adopt a flexible approach where we change our structure while retaining our identity, much like an octopus that is a “shape-shifter”. This gives us agility and adaptability. But our nervous system is also structured to alert us to threats to our identity and reject what it sees as “not me” and to hold on to what they know works and adopt a protectionist stance, much like a hedgehog acting as a “shape-stabiliser”.