EMPOWERMENT ALPHABET

AUTENTICITY

Authentic is a compound word, made up of autòs (oneself) and entòs (in, inside), it refers to our “true inner self, beyond what we want to show and what we believe we are”.

In the self-empowerment perspective, authenticity is the ability to include and have in mind our whole selves – i.e., values, qualities, faults, experiences – in every context or life situation.

The first step towards authenticity is being authentic towards oneself.
This means being in emotional contact or, in other words, listening to our “inner emotional voice” (accepting the discomfort it may cause) and use it in the relationship with ourselves and others.

Being authentic is difficult because:

  • it causes us to be more exposed and, consequently, to be more vulnerable compared to those who stay within tracks and do not allow themselves to be in touch with their emotional side (see “emotional numbness”)
  • we are bearer of contradictions and often times it might be difficult to find a personal synthesis of desires, wills, pulls, and personal characteristics;
  • some contexts require us to be partial, as they do not favor the expression of our wholeness.

For such reasons being authentic is hard work, it is a day-by-day achievement. At the same time being authentic is also an asset that makes us feel whole and content as well as more effective and full of resources.

For a leader, authenticity is the instrument upon which managerial credibility is based.

We ask you to find someone that knows you well work-wise but not private-wise and someone that, on the contrary, knows you personally but not professionally. Ask each of these persons to assess you according to the following scale:

Reflexive     0 – 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – 7 – 8 – 9 – 10      Spontaneous

Solitary        0 – 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – 7 – 8 – 9 – 10      Gregarious

Relaxed      0 – 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – 7 – 8 – 9 – 10      Dynamic

Reserved      0 – 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – 7 – 8 – 9 – 10      Passionate

Generous        0 – 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – 7 – 8 – 9 – 10      Attention-seeker

Flexible       0 – 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – 7 – 8 – 9 – 10      Strict

Now compare the two evaluations: are they aligned? Did you find anything surprising? Which of the two evaluations do you feel closer to your self-perception? Is there anything you could or should do to increase the degree of accordance between the two scales?

Leave your feedback in the comments below.

Want to discover the Empowerment Alphabet?