The Adverse Irony Of Authenticity: Overcoming The Difficulty Of Being Ourselves In Business
Business does odd things to us. So much so, that it can adversely affect our prospects because too many of us are afraid and, in some cases, are unable to simply be ourselves.
The most charming or calm people are too often transformed into someone else entirely in a business environment. It's as if an unhelpful force suddenly presses a Personality Disorientation or even a Personality Disorder button and then off we go into the business arena as someone people will not sense is congruent.
We can either become a HIP (High Intensity Person) or a CAP (Constrained Apprehensive Person).
After an encounter with a HIP type, once all the conversational dust has settled, you're left wondering what the hell has just happened. It can leave you temporarily dazed but not dazzled.
The latter group is too tense and ill at ease to unleash the communication dogs of hell routine. Instead, they will look and/or sound too awkward for fear of saying or doing the wrong thing. They're afraid of making a mistake that could harm their prospects in business.
The irony for both the HIPs and the CAPs is that it's so much easier to be natural – unless of course you're naturally awful – than be something else.
Being authentic will win the business and the life opportunities that you want and deserve. And yet not even some of the seemingly confident people manage to pull this off when they really need to.
If only the HIPs and CAPs can witness someone who is positively authentic and honest about themselves, personally and professionally, then they will see the powerfully positive effect this has on others.
I saw one such example last night in the form of Deri Llewellyn-Davies who was speaking at a congress event in London about strategy and goal setting.
No matter what business challenges he may have faced, he now has a thriving business based on his talents, for sure, but also because he's truly authentic. And the effect he has on people is marked because of this. And that in turn gives both him and those who then want to become his clients an even greater business belief and therefore a greater capability.
So dare to be authentic. It's so much easier and rewarding than being something you're not.
posted: 12 Jan 12