Often in the context of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), one hears calls for employees to “bring their whole selves” to work. In short, it means being your authentic self. When a person feels that they cannot fully open up and share their thoughts and ideas in the workplace, then the benefits of DEI lose their effect.
The risks of masking our authentic self
Masking is the practice of making people feel as if they cannot be fully themselves both personally and professionally. Through the lens of diversity and inclusion, masking causes people to conceal parts of their identity in order to conform to mainstream thinking. People end up covering up what they really think and feel as a way of coping, especially in the workplace.
Masking undermines the benefits of diversity and inclusion work. If people are not fully committed to their work and do not feel safe to disagree or have a different point of view, it hurts both the individual and the organization. This happens more often with marginalized groups.
Myth busting
It is a myth that a person should be one at work and another in their personal life. There are characteristics and preferences that are the same in both aspects. For example, if a person has good organizational skills, he or she often uses them both at work and at home.
Authentic leaders are aware of their strengths as well as their limitations. They show their true selves to their team and family.
The real work
Sometimes one makes the mistake of thinking that there is a lot of “real work” to do and no time to set aside conversations with the team and build soft skills such as giving feedback and sharing experiences with team members. It’s also a very real job, as a culture of open and honest relationships is encouraged.
An authentic leader
Authentic leaders are those who are faithful to themselves and the principles that guide them. They are self-aware, allowing them to understand themselves and their relationship with employees, the organization and the vision. They are sincere, modest and humble and share their successes with their team. Additionally, they are empathetic and able to make the necessary decisions with integrity.
To be a more authentic leader, it is important to focus on building relationships and creating alliances. Leaders who lead by example through their stories are more engaging. Thus, he/she influences the culture of the organization when he/she tells stories about what happened, about how a problem was solved, or about someone who did something remarkable.
