Should You Be Authentic In Business?
Do you ever feel like you are putting on your work face? I spent the last 20 years in large businesses, and over time I felt like I was wearing a mask. The masks formed part of what I believe was expected of me, how I was to behave and interact with people. A decade ago, I questioned what it meant to be a truly effective business leader. I realised that the mask was a huge warning about how far removed I was from my true self.
I’ve seen so many people and clients go through the ritual of setting aside the real person. To step into the character they believe their role requires. Just like an actor stepping into their role in a movie. Soon enough if you play that character for long enough, you become them, and you lose sight of who you are.
Do we need to wear these masks or should you always be yourself in business? A fascinating question and one that I’ve pondered on and off for many years. When I removed the mask, everything changed for me, and here is how.
THE AUTHENTIC YOU
When you remove the mask and step into your authentic self, your personality, passion, your values and your beliefs surface. After almost a decade of executive leadership experience, my authentic-self thrives.
Let go of the images of being someone else; it’s unsustainable and exhausting. When you do let go, you are creating a new energy for you and your business. As a business owner, your reputation is the value of your business. People buy people. People will always do business with those they believe in and trust.
Businesses that are built on authenticity stand out. Sharing your story helps bring your true self to the core of the business. When creating your story consider the following:
- Why was the company started?
- What is your story?
- What values, purpose and reason is the business built on?
- What are the driving reason your business exists?
- How can you use these values to align with people who share those same values?
OWN YOUR MISTAKES
As part of the process of removing the mask is to acknowledge our mistakes. Sharing your experiences with others, with a focus on previous failings helps you add value to others.
By sharing your journey people will relate to you. And it starts genuine conversations around improving ourselves and our business so you can move on from them towards success. We are all human, and we fail.
With the masks we tend to present as perfect. Let go of the negatives and embrace the failings as being human and giving it a go. It can be uncomfortable to talk about your failures in business. But nothing makes people more human than failing and learning. The truth, being your authentic self is where all the magic happens.
Let me show you an example of this…
In 2009 Domino’s Pizza decided to acknowledge that their pizza wasn’t very good. This feedback came from customers, and Domino’s used it to their advantage. The ads included the customer feedback. Followed by the CEO admitting that their customers were right. He showed how Dominos had addressed the issues.
A prime example of how by being authentic, admitting their mistakes, resulted in praise from customers for doing so. You can watch the TV Ads here. This honesty, resonated in the numbers, too. Customers loved their pizza, which turned the company around, and they experienced rapid growth as a result.
In today’s hyper-connect business world, authenticity isn’t just desired; it’s expected. When you’re wearing a mask, you’re distracted and exhausted. When you do let go, and you’re yourself. The passion, ideas and productivity flow naturally.