In this episode of The Career Rx we’ll discuss:

• The top 5 authenticity traps that keep you from finding success in your career
• What being authentic in a work environment really means
• How “authenticity” can hold you back
• Why adaptive authenticity is what you should strive for

What does it mean to be your “true” or “authentic” self in the workplace? One of my amazing listeners, Shelley, wrote in with a note about how she had been shying away from her own personal branding without realizing that she was hindering her upward mobility at work. She thought it was more authentic to stay quiet even though she knew that she was being passed over. Then, she had an a-ha moment. 

In recent years, there has been a push for employees and employers to be more ‘authentic’ and true to themselves in the workplace, but what does that really mean? What does it mean to be authentic?

In this episode, I share some views on this topic, and ask the important - but often controversial questions about whether/how the concept of authenticity can actually hold us back from what we really want (and what our ‘true self’ really wants is indeed part of our authenticity!). 

When viewed rigidly, being authentic to your “true” self could spell disaster for your career and your personal brand. It’s important to be authentic, and to keep a wide and adaptive view of what that really means. This is one of the core principles that we explore at the TransforMD Mastery Retreat - a special event for women physicians only offered once a year (with registration open right now - check it out!).

Listen in to learn:

• Why ‘authenticity’ can reinforce self-limiting beliefs (this is a bad thing!)
• How leaning on what feels authentic to you may be holding you back from growth
• Why some definitions of authenticity ignores the importance of how others receive you, and this could be potentially damaging 
• What causes ‘authenticity’ to interfere with your results
• When ‘authenticity’ may undermine your credibility (and when it helps)

As you listen, consider whether you really have a “true” self at all.  Because we are constantly learning, growing, and evolving as we gain wisdom, age, and experience, I believe instead we have many selves, including a predominant “current” self, but no single ‘true self’. 

“This quest to be authentic can sometimes be self-limiting.” - Marjorie Stiegler

In this Episode: 

[00:42] Today we’re chatting about authenticity in the workplace and professional success.

[02:10] Do we know what authenticity really means? 

[04:47] Learn more about the first authenticity trap.

[05:41] The importance of self-limiting beliefs and other stories we tell ourselves

[06:53] Rigid authenticity may be holding you back from growth. Learn why.

[09:04] Why authenticity (when expressed rigidly) ignores other people, and why that leads to self-sabotage

[11:17] Does authenticity interfere with results? 

[15:31] Can authenticity undermine your credibility? Authenticity can help boost connectedness, but only if you have something else first. 

[19:22] How you help others (yes, others) by embracing a professional brand with authenticity

[21:00] How can you be authentic and effective without falling into these traps? 

[22:09] About ‘adaptive authenticity’ and how it may be a better goal to strive for

[23:28] The 5 traps recapped. 

Links and Resources: 

Transformd.org

TransforMD Mast

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