Are You Authentic?

What is authenticity?

Authenticity refers to the truthfulness of origins, attributions, commitments, sincerity, devotion and intentions.

Let's look at those words and how they might apply to you.

Origins. Your background and history are massive shapers of you. Today you are the sum total of this lifetime conditioning.

Attributions. Your attributes are all the individual features that make up you. They may be external physical features or internal attributes that are implicit within you.

Commitments. This is what you are committed to doing. This is not loose "see if it happens" lip service. These are the absolutes that you are committed to doing. They ultimately define you.

Sincerity. This is how much you truly care. It could be about the quality of your goods or service. It could be about your staff members or customers. Sincerity is generally judged by others.

Devotion. This is how committed you are to achieving your goals and dreams. This is when you go the extra mile, deliver beyond expectation or truly surprise people by your efforts.

Intentions. This is the truthfulness, clarity and transparency of what you intend to do. Are your intentions clear and uncompromised? Does everyone understand them?

Why be authentic?

Being truly authentic to yourself means that you don't have to try too hard to think of how to respond or act in situations. If you have a clear understanding of your standards, ethics and what you stand for; then you're more able to spontaneously respond to everyday situations.

Authenticity isn't about saying "hey this is me - cop it or bad luck". This is the mantra of the stereotypical Big Brother Gen Y contestant. Authenticity is about appreciating and respecting different people and points of view. It's about being comfortable in your own skin and still complying with some widely accepted business and social conventions.

People can generally pick a dodgy business operator from 100 metres. Why? Because they sense something isn't right. Their intuitive radar goes off. The dodgy operator might look great and have all the business trimmings. But something doesn't stack up.

Alternately, when you meet someone authentic your intuitive radar also goes off. But this time it's in a good way. You tune in to the person and feel a level of trust and warmth. You believe them. They seem real. They may even have attributes or views that you would ordinarily not be drawn to. But you overlook these and see their authenticity... their own truth!

Authenticity makes you disarmingly attractive to others making you a magnet that other people are drawn to. Of course, you don't want to magnetise everyone. Just those that share your core values and want to create a meaningful and mutually beneficial relationship over time.

What is my authenticity?

Discovering your authenticity often starts with thinking about what you are passionate about. What gets you excited and fired up - good and bad? What do you have to offer? What is your core genius and how can you share this with the world?

Now that's a starting point.

Now think about how you can live this each day in your business world. Think about how this fits in with all your interactions, dealings, meetings and day to day flow. Believe me - it not only fits in but can be your compass in nearly all situations.

If you're struggling to grasp what your authenticity might be, here's a method I found useful.

- Write down what your vision is for you and your business

- Write down your values

- Write down your absolute strengths and core genius (no false modesty here)

- Write down the problems you solve

- Write down the opportunities you create

- Write down what you love doing

- Write down the attributes of people you'd ideally like around you

Now consciously think about "being truly you" in all your dealings with staff, customers and suppliers. Do more of what you love and less of what you loathe. If you're not spending 80% or more of your time on your strengths and core genius – reassess things. Trust until deceived. Take some calculated risks. Put yourself in some situations outside your normal comfort zone. Smile more and be less negative. Give yourself the chance for your authenticity to shine through to all in your path.

What changes might I see through being truly authentic?

Being authentic means rarely having to second guess yourself. You don't have to remember "how should I act" or "what is the appropriate response". You follow your own personal charter.

You will most likely see internal changes in the way staff interact with you. It will be less of a struggle to get them to understand you and the business' vision. You will probably be more open in sharing information and allocating your time to them.

Externally, your customers and suppliers will want to be closer to you. They will respect you and value your relationship. They typically will send other like-minded individuals to you via referral. Your network may expand or contract but the quality of the people within this group will be enhanced.

Personally, your confidence and self esteem will soar. You will feel more at peace with the world. You'll find you smile more and will be more relaxed. Personal productivity should increase and you may find you get more from less. Stress, anxiety and sleeping problems are often reduced.

Business will typically improve as people around you rally to your cause without being pushed. Achieving new goals and targets becomes easier as you find resources and tools through your motivated network of helpers.

And finally, you'll find "your rhythm" that you've been searching for. It's always been there but it really kicks in when you live authentically.

Darren Bourke, Business Influence, 2008. You are welcome to “reprint” this article online as long as it remains complete (including the “about the author” information)