Talking to students I regularly ask what Authenticity means. I am always looking for something practical as opposed to an ethereal exposition few understand and even fewer will be able to follow.
As a point of departure, I lead with the succinct definition of authenticity: ‘to be an original of yourself, not a copy of someone or something else’. That works only if the original is one that meets the characteristics of ethics and integrity!
Apart from that point, authenticity is experienced rather than observed. When leaders lead with authenticity, when they show who and what they really are – warts and all – authenticity becomes believable and even desirable in the organisation. It is not weakness; it is a profound strength to show the authentic you.
Have we become afraid to be authentic? Does our societal lust for retribution and/or perfection make it impossible for a leader to acknowledge his or her mistakes, which is an integral part of being authentic?
Ethics & Leader- ship 