Is it OK to be myself at work or do I need to be somebody I’m not
In this podcast episode Andy and Frances are discussing what does it take to bring your whole self to work and is that even possible.
They use the source from Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic who has written a book “Don’t Be Yourself: Why Authenticity is overrated (and what to do instead)”.
As leadership coaches they talk a lot about unlocking aliveness in leadership and have a belief that this means being you, in all its glory, your thoughts, understanding, questions and curiousness. When you are hired; you are hired for who you are, and what you stand for and not someone who leaves their whole self at the door.
Chamorro-Premuzic tells a story of one direct report, a 20 something, who came to his performance review wearing a T-shirt with “Just be you, they will adjust” emblazoned on it. “If we all wore that T-shirt, we would have total anarchy”, he says. “You get a lot of egotistical, self-indulgent, narcissistic entitlement masked by or disguised under the authenticity mantle, and it’s very unhealthy”.
He goes on to say, “It’s important to help people to understand that there are very few instances in which your right to be you overrides your obligation to others, and that work is not a place that invites you to impose or unleash your unfiltered or uncensored self.”
Frances and Andy got quite excited in this conversation about what does it take to be a human being at work rather than a human doing, and where the line is drawn on authenticity.
In their experience work is about bringing as much of yourself as possible, and not hiding that away, that’s where the aliveness is.
We think that it’s worth a listen. 😃
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