In this week’s Thought Sparks Podcast episode, Rita McGrath, a Columbia University Business School Professor, C-Suite strategist, business founder and best-selling author, welcomes Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, professor of business psychology at University College London and an adjunct professor at Columbia University,  and the author of Don't Be Yourself: Why Authenticity Is Overrated (and What to Do Instead). 

00:00 Introductions 

01:06 Why Do So Many Incompetent Men Become Leaders? 

02:54"Don't Be Yourself”: Why This Book, Now 

05:21 Authenticity Versus Leadership, and Being the Leader the Situation Calls For 

06:59 The Visibility of Authenticity  

09:18 Power and Self Censorship from Jeff Pfeffer 

11:04: The Four Mantras of Authenticity 

11:30: Mantra 1: “Honesty” 

14:18 Mantra 2: “Don’t Worry About What People Think” 

15:45 Skill Building and Self Awareness, from Matt Beane 

18:27 Mantra 3: “Always be True to Your Values” 

21:42 The Overton Window and How Norms Shift 

24:03: Herminia Ibarra’s Critique of the Authenticity Paradox 

26:44 Mantra 4: “Bring Your Whole Self to Work” 

27:57 Diversity and Belonging at Work 

30:22 How Employee Engagement Fits Into the Authenticity Picture 

32:27 How DEI Interventions Utilize Authenticity  

34:36 The Return to Office: Why Senior Leadership Might Prefer In-Person Work 

35:38: Chip Conley’s Learning to Love Midlife 

36:37: Tech Bros, Solopreneurs, and Authenticity to an Extreme 

38:27 Practical Alternatives: Your Right For Self Expression Versus Your Obligation to Others 

41:22 The Self Complexity Framework and Office Politics 

44:41 How to Interview: Honesty versus Employability 

48:32 Gen Z: Developing Grit and Learning from Feedback 

55:28 AI Paranoia and Adaptation 

58:42: Gen AI as “Intellectual Fast Food” 

Thought Sparks are the brainchild of Rita McGrath. They are insightful actions, strategic ideas, actionable suggestions and innovative approaches that help organizations and leaders master the future with less fear and more confidence.  

New episodes of the Thought Sparks Podcast are released every other Tuesday at 11am Eastern.  

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