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The Executive Presence Blog:

5 Reasons You Should Be Transparent at Work

Why Coming Clean Will Help You Advance & Lack of Transparency Will Hurt You

4. Be Authentic

Recall how the devout among diverse religions prayed for Christopher Hitchens when he was dying. That was despite the fact that he was a strident atheist who had not long ago published "God Is Not Great." Even those who didn’t love him respected him because he was "authentic," communicating his consistent truth through his writing, speaking and ready-for-battle guest appearances. Hitchens unwaveringly took responsibility for the consequences of his values. When diagnosed with esophageal cancer after years of heavy smoking among other health-adverse behavior, he dryly commented that it was time to pay the piper, quipping, "I burned the candle at both ends and it gave a lovely light."

Authenticity doesn’t mean total disclosure. It can be best defined as an alignment of values with behavior. If a company’s values include sustainability and protecting planet Earth and it’s found to be polluting rivers in contrast, not being perceived as authentic will only be the beginning of its problems.

Recent research, such as by the University of Greenwich in London, confirms that it’s business common sense to put limits on what has been called “authentic self expression.” No organization could function smoothly with all players being their “real selves.”  Instead, "authenticity" sometimes just requires a willingness to put up for public view a specific human being, with strengths and flaws, likes and dislikes. It doesn’t have to go any further than that.  The classic example is Berkshire Hathaway’s Warren Buffett who’s well known for being a “character.” As a businessman he would most likely be trusted even without his venerable investment persona because we believe he’s the real deal. His image humanized a major player in the cutthroat world of high finance.

 

  • Harrison Monarth

    New York Times bestselling business author Harrison Monarth is founder of GuruMaker, a global communications consulting firm that coaches Fortune 500 executives, politicians, and other high-level professionals in crafting and presenting … Read more...