In this episode, Melody Wilding unpacks the concept of authenticity in the workplace and challenges the conventional wisdom that being true to yourself is the ultimate secret to success in the workplace. She shares how the pursuit of authenticity can sometimes be a defense mechanism or way to play it safe.What You’ll Discover:<ul><li>Rethinking Authenticity: The conventional advice to "just be yourself" at work may be a trap that hurts your career progress. What we consider our authentic self might actually be a defense mechanism.</li><li>Impact of Early Messages: Messages you received during your formative years, like "tone it down" or "don’t rock the boat," can fool you into staying small – and you mistake that for your authentic self.</li><li>Authenticity vs. Safety: Playing it safe by not speaking up or standing out is not authenticity. Before holding back, evaluate whether you are acting out of fear or outdated perceptions rather than genuine self-expression.</li></ul>— Connect with Melody: <ol> <li><a href='https://melodywilding.com/sayno'>FREE GUIDE: Steal These Scripts for Saying No at Work</a></li> <li><a href='https://melodywilding.com/newsletter'>FREE NEWSLETTER: Psychology at Work Weekly</a></li> <li><a href='https://melodywilding.com/resilient'>Get on the RESILIENT Waitlist</a></li> <li><a href='https://linkedin.com/in/melodywilding'>Follow Melody on LinkedIn</a></li> <li><a href='https://instagram.com/melodywilding'>Follow Melody on Instagram </a></li> <li><a href='https://managingup.com/'>Get Melody's new book, Managing Up</a></li> </ol>

In this episode, Melody Wilding unpacks the concept of authenticity in the workplace and challenges the conventional wisdom that being true to yourself is the ultimate secret to success in the workplace. She shares how the pursuit of authenticity can sometimes be a defense mechanism or way to play it safe. What You’ll Discover:Rethinking Authenticity: The conventional advice to "just be yourself" at work may be a trap that hurts your career progress. What we consider our authentic self might actually be a defense mechanism.Impact of Early Messages: Messages you received during your formative years, like "tone it down" or "don’t rock the boat," can fool you into staying small – and you mistake that for your authentic self.Authenticity vs. Safety: Playing it safe by not speaking up or standing out is not authenticity. Before holding back, evaluate whether you are acting out of fear or outdated perceptions rather than genuine self-expression.— Connect with Melody: FREE GUIDE: Steal These Scripts for Saying No at Work FREE NEWSLETTER: Psychology at Work Weekly Get on the RESILIENT Waitlist Follow Melody on LinkedIn Follow Melody on Instagram Get Melody's new book, Managing Up

In this episode, Melody Wilding unpacks the concept of authenticity in the workplace and challenges the conventional wisdom that being true to yourself is the ultimate secret to success in the workplace. She shares how the pursuit of authenticity can sometimes be a defense mechanism or way to play it safe.What You’ll Discover:<ul><li>Rethinking Authenticity: The conventional advice to "just be yourself" at work may be a trap that hurts your career progress. What we consider our authentic self might actually be a defense mechanism.</li><li>Impact of Early Messages: Messages you received during your formative years, like "tone it down" or "don’t rock the boat," can fool you into staying small – and you mistake that for your authentic self.</li><li>Authenticity vs. Safety: Playing it safe by not speaking up or standing out is not authenticity. Before holding back, evaluate whether you are acting out of fear or outdated perceptions rather than genuine self-expression.</li></ul>— Connect with Melody: <ol> <li><a href="https://melodywilding.com/sayno" rel="noopener noreferrer">FREE GUIDE: Steal These Scripts for Saying No at Work</a></li> <li><a href="https://melodywilding.com/newsletter" rel="noopener noreferrer">FREE NEWSLETTER: Psychology at Work Weekly</a></li> <li><a href="https://melodywilding.com/resilient" rel="noopener noreferrer">Get on the RESILIENT Waitlist</a></li> <li><a href="https://linkedin.com/in/melodywilding" rel="noopener noreferrer">Follow Melody on LinkedIn</a></li> <li><a href="https://instagram.com/melodywilding" rel="noopener noreferrer">Follow Melody on Instagram </a></li> <li><a href="https://managingup.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Get Melody's new book, Managing Up</a></li> </ol>

03. DON'T Be Your “Authentic Self” at Work – Here’s Why

Have you ever felt like you're the only one struggling with self-doubt at work? Maybe you’ve wondered why office politics seem so complicated or how some people seem to influence so effortlessly?&nbsp; The secret is that every day at work, we're surrounded by psychological dynamics - internal and external. There's the voice in our head second-guessing our decisions, the subtle power plays in meetings, the unspoken expectations that shape our behavior and others. Yet most of us are dropped into our careers with zero insight into these invisible forces. That changes today. Welcome to Psychology at Work. I’m your host Melody Wilding, licensed social worker, human behavior professor, and author of two books: Trust Yourself: Stop Overthinking and Channel Your Emotions for Success at Work and Managing Up: How to Get What You Need From the People in Charge. With a background as an emotion researcher, therapist, and after over 13 years of coaching thousands of executives and leaders across the world, there’s nothing I love more than helping emotionally intelligent people like you use superpower to make work better for themselves and everyone around them.&nbsp; Because here’s the thing, technical skills will only get you so far in your career. It's mastering your own psychology and understanding that of others that will truly make or break your success. While your coding skills might land you a job, it's your ability to manage stress and stay focused under pressure that will help you meet tight deadlines and deliver high-quality work. Your financial acumen might get you noticed, but it's your ability to navigate stakeholder relationships and office politics that will help you secure buy-in for your ideas. Your strategic thinking might earn you a promotion, but it's your self-awareness and ability to regulate your emotions that will make you an effective leader people want to follow. The title of this show is a playful nod to our double focus. First, we explore how psychology operates in professional settings. But second, in each episode you’re going to walk away with practical insights that you can put to work right away.&nbsp; I know firsthand how challenging it can be to navigate the workplace when you're sensitive, empathetic, and prone to overthinking. That's why I created this podcast that brings you the tools and insights I wish I'd had earlier in my career. Get ready, because you’re going to learn how to master the ‘silent rules’ of human behavior so you can achieve career success without sacrificing inner peace.

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Have you ever felt like you're the only one struggling with self-doubt at work? Maybe you’ve wondered why office politics seem so complicated or how some people seem to influence so effortlessly?  The secret is that every day at work, we're surrounded by psychological dynamics - internal and external. There's the voice in our head second-guessing our decisions, the subtle power plays in meetings, the unspoken expectations that shape our behavior and others. Yet most of us are dropped into our careers with zero insight into these invisible forces. That changes today. Welcome to Psychology at Work. I’m your host Melody Wilding, licensed social worker, human behavior professor, and author of two books: Trust Yourself: Stop Overthinking and Channel Your Emotions for Success at Work and Managing Up: How to Get What You Need From the People in Charge. With a background as an emotion researcher, therapist, and after over 13 years of coaching thousands of executives and leaders across the world, there’s nothing I love more than helping emotionally intelligent people like you use superpower to make work better for themselves and everyone around them.  Because here’s the thing, technical skills will only get you so far in your career. It's mastering your own psychology and understanding that of others that will truly make or break your success. While your coding skills might land you a job, it's your ability to manage stress and stay focused under pressure that will help you meet tight deadlines and deliver high-quality work. Your financial acumen might get you noticed, but it's your ability to navigate stakeholder relationships and office politics that will help you secure buy-in for your ideas. Your strategic thinking might earn you a promotion, but it's your self-awareness and ability to regulate your emotions that will make you an effective leader people want to follow. The title of this show is a playful nod to our double focus. First, we explore how psychology operates in professional settings. But second, in each episode you’re going to walk away with practical insights that you can put to work right away.  I know firsthand how challenging it can be to navigate the workplace when you're sensitive, empathetic, and prone to overthinking. That's why I created this podcast that brings you the tools and insights I wish I'd had earlier in my career. Get ready, because you’re going to learn how to master the ‘silent rules’ of human behavior so you can achieve career success without sacrificing inner peace.

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03. DON'T Be Your “Authentic Self” at Work – Here’s Why

03. DON'T Be Your “Authentic Self” at Work – Here’s Why

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