AUTHENTICITY HAS become the gold standard for
leadership. But a simplistic understanding of what it
means can hinder your growth and limit your impact.
Consider Cynthia, a general manager in a health
care organization. Her promotion into that role increased
her direct reports 10-fold and expanded
the range of businesses she oversaw—and she felt a
little shaky about making such a big leap. A strong
believer in transparent, collaborative leadership, she
bared her soul to her new employees: “I want to do
this job,” she said, “but it’s scary, and I need your
help.” Her candor backfired; she lost credibility with
people who wanted and needed a confident leader
to take charge.
Or take George, a Malaysian executive in an auto
parts company where people valued a clear chain of
command and made decisions by consensus. When a
Dutch multinational with a matrix structure acquired
the company, George found himself working with
peers who saw decision making as a freewheeling