Welcome to Generational Leadership.

In this episode, Leland Thompson and Daeveon Emery are joined by special guest Angela Craft-Willams. We will be discussing what it means to bring your authentic self to the workplace.  With insights from three different generations( Generation Z, Generation X, and Baby Boomers) we are sure there's something for everyone to learn. 

 

Below is a paraphrased version of this episode.

Question one (1:58)

Angela, What does it mean to bring your authentic self - asked by Leland

 

Bring a sense of trust, wanting to motivate people, value them and make them feel appreciated. -Angela 

 

Bringing my authentic self means bringing the essence of who I am and be comfortable where I work. - Angela 

 

Question two (3:08)

How does that allow you to work differently if you can bring more of yourself to the workplace? (in regards to bringing the essence of who are you)

 

I think it does, but you must keep in mind a few caveats. You want to be intentional about what that looks like, keeping in mind the organizations/environment you find yourself in. If you think about jack welsh four E's, he talks about energy, execution, energize, and edge. As you move through your career, when you are new, all you bring is energy. As you move to execute, you move to demonstrate competency. When you think of energy, it's really about being a catalyst to move people. Edge is at that highest level, the executive level, where you are bringing that differential. While you want to bring your authentic self to work, you must keep in mind where you are in your career. You must identify the guard rails set by the organization and have a definition of your authentic self to maneuver through that workplace.

 

Question three(4:53)

(Asking Angela ) Have you seen teams that have fully been their authentic selves, and the entire team exhibits their authentic selves?- Daeveon

 

It looks like people who are diverse in thought and diverse in their experiences.

Allowing people to think outside the box, and in some situations, there is no box at all. - Angela 

 

Question four(6:25)

Daeveon, from a generational standpoint, when you hear the phrase bring you authentic self, what does that mean for you? - Leland 

 

There are certain parts of your authentic self that you will have to dial down in a sense, but there are still ways to bring your authentic self to the table; you must choose which part of your authentic self best fits the situation. - Daeveon

 

Many people think you must neglect and deny portions of yourself to fill a position or a role, and that's not the way to go. You're not just denying that part of yourself in the workplace, you're also telling yourself that those behaviors are not okay. - Daeveon

 

As much as your organization wants you to bring your authentic self, you must, like Angela said earlier, you have to look at the organization itself and look at those guard rails they have in place. You must also make the decision if those guard rails are wide enough for you to put your authentic self in. - Leland

 

Question five(8:40)

 

When you think about leaders creating an authentic environment, bringing their authentic selves, what's one thing that you believe is a critical piece of the recipe that allows your team to show their authentic selves? - Leland

 

I think it starts at the top as a leader by building an environment that allows different voices and opinions. I like to get my leaders out to town hall meetings to hear different perspectives.

The other piece is when you think about your values and your core beliefs, you must walk the talk.

It's essential for people as individuals to spend the time to understand what authentic self means for yourself.

There's a couple of ways to take a look at that 

1. Understanding emotional intelligence/ the shadow you cast
2. Knowing your strengths, what can you knock out of the park when you're fresh out of bed?
3. Using discovery insights, Clifton Strengthsfinder, Myers Briggs - Angela  

 

To add to that, young leaders from my generation, especially (Gen Z) must take the time to develop an understanding of their own morals and character. Defining your own morals, character, and heart can also help you define your authentic self - Daeveon

 

 

Question six(13:08/(13:35)/13:47)

The first step to bringing your authentic self to the job is bringing your authentic self to the interview.

 

 

How do you bring your authentic self to an interview and not jeopardize your ability to get the position? - Leland

 

Look at it as an opportunity to interview the organization as well. Is there new knowledge you would gain from working for this company that's worth sacrificing parts of your authentic self while you're in that space? Not to the extent of your morale and values but smaller characteristics where the trade-off is worth it. - Angela 

Thank you for joining us on today's episode, we hope to see you all again next week where we will finish our discussion on bringing your authentic self to the workplace.