Blog: Authenticity

Although DNA proves that we are 99.9 percent alike, the lens through which we individually view the world is 100 percent different. We may hear the same music, share the same love, or even suffer from the same issues that cause pain, but our individual personalities form the experiences that guide our actions. These are characteristic traits, the relatively enduring patterns of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that distinguish individuals from one another (Cherry, 2020). We are all, in our own right, different and unique. We are all genuinely authentic.

If you are struggling to find your authentic self, know that the search can be difficult, often revealing the need to overcome internal and external barriers--barriers such as fear of exploring your shortfalls, always settling for the status quo, never pushing the envelope, or just plain being nervous about what you might uncover in the deep dark recesses of your mind. All these barriers may block the ability to reach self-awareness and self-confidence, the core of authenticity. It is important to understand that the key to understanding self lies in the ability to maneuver through the highs, lows, and difficulties of all that life has to offer. Only by pushing mind and body to the limit can we endure and find calm, wisdom, and perspective from the unique and confident reflection staring back at you in the mirror.

By breaking through barriers, we gain an understanding of self and obtain what I call true confidence. True confidence is a persona that is natural and free flowing, not fake, forced, or situational. It is both comfortable and comforting.

An external barrier that often manifests within our working lives is the leadership within our professional organizations. Leadership must realize that they can be an obstacle and that their view alone will always be limited if they do not always strive to find the greatest value from combining their own authenticity with that of others. In doing so, they not only increase their worldview exponentially, but they increase a myriad of possibilities that lead to more diverse and endless dimensions, all key to adopting a visionary mindset.

Effective leaders always recognize, accept, and promote the diversity in everyone. The single puzzle piece, on its own, provides little to no purpose. However, that same piece that completes the puzzle provides a feeling of glorious accomplishment, reveals variety, and exposes a wonderful picture. Leaders must create secure environments that foster authenticity and allow it to thrive. They must create an open and honest atmosphere built on integrity and trust. They must welcome open minds and promote truth. This is all vital to paving the path toward to self-assurance and accountability.

Creating this environment is not easy. It takes hard work, sacrifice, humility, dedication to a vision, commitment to team, a leap of faith, and a leadership coach that can help work through all the obstacles and create a map toward a best version of yourself, and an organization that fosters authentic success.

It is critical to understand that being self-aware and self-confident has no impact or meaning on its own. The personal “authentic” journey makes the greatest impact during our interactions with others. It is core to success in building and maintaining relationships, teams, and organizations. BB King, the famous musician, blues pioneer, and author stated that, “I want to try to understand myself, hoping that you - my family, my friends, my fans - will understand me as well.”

MSBCoach is committed to partnering with leaders and teams to identify their True North.  One's true north includes living into your values, identifying what it means to you to be your authentic self, and practicing emotional intelligence.  Leadership, executive, and team coaching are effective ways to help leaders and their teams put these principles into practice.  We also offer engaging workshops in being an authentic leader, emotional intelligence, identifying your values, and many others.  You can check out our coaching processes and our list of workshops here.

Reference

Cherry, K. (2020). Are Personality Traits Caused by Genes or Environment? Retrieved from https://www.verywellmind.com/are-personality-traits-caused-by-genes-or-environment-4120707