It might be time we stopped telling people to “bring their authentic self to work”, says Dr Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, and instead try a different approach.

“Just be yourself.” 

This advice is everywhere, from self-help books and Instagram captions, to corporate workshops and dating apps. Authenticity has become a mantra for modern leadership and personal branding, framed as the antidote to assimilation, workplace politics and personal burnout. 

But according to psychologist and author Dr Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, authenticity isn’t the leadership virtue we think it is. On the contrary.

Chamorro-Premuzic frames authenticity as one of the most “overrated and misunderstood” concepts in business and in life. In his view, often when people say they’re being authentic, they’re in fact just being unfiltered and sometimes counter-productive. 

Under the moniker of “authenticity”, they’re sometimes exhibiting behaviour that can harm relationships and organisational culture.

It’s a provocative claim. But it speaks to a bigger truth: when taken at face value, unfettered authenticity can hold us back rather than propel us forward. And this rings true in our career and leadership, too.

The authenticity trap

Most of us celebrate authenticity as a synonym for honesty and transparency. But the concept is frequently weaponised to justify unhelpful behavior, particularly in the workplace.

Think of the manager who excuses their short temper with, “That’s just who I am.” Or the colleague who resists feedback, arguing that making changes would feel “fake”. 

Oftentimes when we pass our behaviour off as authentic, we’re actually making excuses for ourselves, bypassing accountability and foregoing the opportunity to grow.

“If I were to be authentic at work every day, I might never get out of bed,” says Chamorro-Premuzic. “Our authentic selves are often tired, distracted, anxious, or insecure. That doesn’t make them useful.”

In other words, authenticity in its raw form isn’t always productive. 

“Completely ignoring what others think isn’t just unrealistic, it’s counterproductive,” says Chamorro-Premuzic. “Feedback from others is not a curse, but the essential ingredient for self-awareness and critical for growth and self-improvement.”

What to strive for instead

So if authenticity is often unhelpful, what’s the alternative? Chamorro-Premuzic suggests aiming for adaptability and self-awareness instead.

“The most successful people aren’t brutally honest, uncomfortably transparent, or intensely authentic,” he says. “Rather, they are masters at reading a room, adapting their approach and showcasing precisely the qualities that will resonate with a particular audience at the right moment.”

The nuance here is critical: this isn’t about being fake, it’s about being contextually intelligent. Choosing to adapt doesn’t mean abandoning your identity. It means recognising what the given moment requires and meeting it with intentionality, as the best version of yourself.

Say, an introvert is asked to lead a team presentation. Their “authentic” response  might be to turn down the opportunity. But by preparing, practicing and adapting, they embody new confidence and lead in a way that elevates both themselves and their colleagues. 

That’s not inauthentic – it’s the evolved, better version of themselves. A version capable of rising to the occasion through the discomfort of growth.

The leadership lesson

For leaders, this distinction is especially important. In a crisis, teams don’t need their boss’s “authentic” frustration or deepest fears. They need composure, clarity and a sense of direction. 

“Your colleagues, coworkers, and bosses will appreciate seeing your professional rather than uninhibited self,” says Chamorro-Premuzic. 

Great leaders don’t act purely based on how they feel in the moment. They practice restraint. They role model better behaviors. They lead with intention, not impulse.

The best leaders, then, aren’t authentic in the sense of sharing their unfiltered emotions. Instead, they are constantly seeking to evolve and improve their self-identity and their leadership through making their actions consistent, values-driven and deliberate. As a result, they are not reactive; they respond from a place of self-awareness and emotional maturity. And that’s exactly what a crisis situation calls for. 

Ironically, our obsession with authenticity often backfires. We think we admire people for being “real,” but what we actually value in colleagues and leaders – particularly in times of uncertainty and flux – is consistency and integrity.

That means the real question we need to ask ourselves is not Am I being authentic? but rather:

• Am I being the best version of myself right now?
• What does this situation truly need from me?
• Is my behaviour making others feel safer, clearer or stronger?

The goal isn’t to strip away every filter or impulse, but to consistently curate the version of you that aligns with your values and elevates those around you. 

“Why should we limit ourselves to our past and present self if we can also sculpt  a future self that is better?” 

While authenticity has become a buzzword, intentionality, adaptability and self-awareness are timeless. They are the attributes great leaders strive to embody. These qualities ask more of us than simply “being ourselves” – they require reflection, effort and courage.

And that’s the brilliant paradox: when we let go of the pressure to be “authentic” at all costs, we free ourselves to become something far more valuable  – the best version of ourselves.

Alexis Zahner is the director of Human Leaders, an Australian-based consultancy specialising in creating workplaces where people thrive through Human Leadership. She is the co-host of the We Are Human Leaders podcast. She holds a Masters in Business Psychology from University of Newcastle, and resides in the Northern New South Wales Coast of Australia.

Sally Clarke (she/her) is a former corporate finance lawyer turned stress and burnout expert, speaker and thought leader. She delivers stress management programs and keynotes around the globe and is author of two bestselling books, including “Protect Your Spark: How to Avoid Burnout and Live Authentically.” Sally is co-host of the We are Human Leaders podcast and writes regularly on wellbeing, leadership and spirituality.