Across geographies and industries, it’s all too easy to talk about being more authentic but far more difficult to put that into action. The word authentic has become a buzzword in many professions. Authentic leadership, authentic conversations or sometimes even just being authentic. But the question is, how? How do you demonstrate authentic leadership at work? How do you have an authentic conversation with someone? Or how can you just be more authentic in anything you do?
The British researcher Alex Wood is one of the leading authorities in the world when it comes to the investigation and understanding of authenticity1. This how-to-training is based on his work. Wood and his colleagues measured authenticity using three dimensions, taken from the work of Carl Rogers2, namely self-alienation, authentic living and accepting external influences. In this model, authenticity involves honest awareness of one’s inner reality (or true self), ability to act and express oneself in ways consistent with the true self and in accord with one’s real values, and having the courage to reject external influences and opinions inconsistent with one’s own perception of reality3. The question again is, how do you live each of these dimensions?
This how-to-training focuses on developing each of these dimensions by understanding what specific things to do and in turn will help individuals become more authentic. It draws on my work as a positive psychologist and consultant with clients from across industries and countries. The aim is to share what has worked. The authenticity scale and related assessment4 based on the same work of Alex Wood5 will be used as a foundation on which activities for this how-to-training are built. For example, question 11 on the assessment, related to authentic living, is “I live in accordance with my values and beliefs”. How do you actually do that? That’s the sort of question this how-to-training answers. It’s about knowing exactly what to do to be more authentic.