How authentic should you be at work?

Being authentic or ‘bringing your whole self to work’ has been part of the office zeitgeist for the past few years. We’ve been urged to drop the mask we wear to the office, and instead, feel free to ‘just be ourselves’.

That’s the theory, but in practice it’s highly unlikely that we will just let it all hang out. After all, who really wants to work alongside someone who isn’t able to contain the bad mood their kids put them in or temper their antagonistic views on everything from Strictly Come Dancing to world peace?

Perhaps it’s a good thing that there’s a reticence to show our true selves all the time, argues acclaimed psychologist Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic in his new book, Don’t Be Yourself: Why authenticity is overrated and what to do instead.

When is too much?

While feeling safe to express an opinion, call out a misdemeanour, stop hiding your true identity or hold someone in authority to account is obviously good, expecting work to be the place where you express your true self in every way, no matter what everyone else thinks, is a step too far, argues Chamorro-Premuzic. Too much authenticity can be a bad thing.

“What if chasing authenticity was an actual trap – one that oversimplifies human complexity, disregards the necessity of compromise and leaves us ill-equipped to navigate the nuanced realities of modern life, which include focusing not just on ourselves and how we feel, but also on others?” he writes.

It pays to be professional

“Whatever you may hear about the virtues of authenticity and ‘just being yourself’, the fact of the matter is that most people work in teams and organisations that actually reward strategic self-presentation (the intentional act of putting on a carefully rehearsed and choreographed professional self, especially so it comes across as genuine) over unfiltered self-expression (especially if it’s not prosocial or professional).”

Like most people, your current and future colleagues and bosses will appreciate seeing and interacting with your professional, rather than uninhibited, self. They will also be grateful for your efforts to display your best, rather than your ‘real’ or ‘whole’, self, Chamorro-Premuzic explains.

Successful people are emotionally intelligent

He makes the case that the most successful people aren’t brutally honest, uncomfortably transparent or intensely authentic.

“Rather, they are masters at reading a room, adapting their approach and showcasing precisely the qualities that will resonate with a particular audience at precisely the right moment.”

In other words, they are emotionally intelligent and aware of their own strengths and weaknesses.

“There is no prize for becoming who you already are, but there is a remarkable payoff for becoming a better version of yourself, including the admiration and respect of others. However, this requires some effort, focus and dedication. Above all, it requires the motivation to seriously want to evolve, which is the exact opposite of just being yourself,” he writes.

Chamorro-Premuzic argues that instead of spending all your effort on trying to be as authentic as possible, it is better for your career to:

1) Improve how you collaborate and interact with others.

This requires you to put on a professional persona and manage the impression people have of you without being fake. Think of it as playing the role of ‘professional you’, but don’t act so much that you feel you are alienating yourself.

2) Present your best self to your colleagues.

This doesn’t mean being a fraud and violating your own principles. Chamorro-Premuzic argues that “what matters is not how authentic you are, but how authentic other people think you are. Research shows that people who are seen as authentic by others actually engage in very skilful impression management. If you are a leader, for example, and you’re freaking out internally you will still want your team to be calm and get a sense of optimism… your task is to be reliable, predictable and to help others”.

This doesn’t mean you’re being fake; it means you’re being a leader. It pays to make an effort to edit yourself and leave your ‘dark side’ at home. After all, who would want to work with grumpy, moody, impulsive you, which is how you might behave if you brought your whole self to work? Bring the best version of yourself to work, not your unedited self.

3) Take a less self-centred approach to authenticity.

Make an effort to see things from others’ perspectives – and question your own values. It’s an advantage, because it means you’ll be able to act on behalf of others.

“I argue for a less egocentric and more other-oriented approach to life, which makes authenticity kind of secondary,” says Chamorro-Premuzic.

Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic’s book Don’t Be Yourself: Why authenticity is overrated (and what to do instead) is published by Harvard Business Press.