To Thine Own Self Be True... at Work

Do you feel like when you go to work, you have to hide essential parts of your identity, interests, or personality? You’re not alone. A study by Deloitte found that more than half of us cover up some part of who we are. And people of color and LGBTQ+ feel that pressure even more.

But if we can be who we are—not just at work, but in everything we do—we can improve our morale, strengthen our connections with the people around us, and even improve our physical wellbeing. We will also be more effective, unleashing an inner wellspring of insights, creativity, and resourcefulness.

To help you bring your whole, authentic, human self to work, check out these resources. We hope that they’ll inspire you.

Brené Brown believes that vulnerability is the key to courage… and positive and lasting change. Her TED talk on vulnerability—how being honest and open with ourselves and others can help us grow into more fully-realized humans—is well worth revisiting.

Before you go into work tomorrow telling everyone your deepest, darkest secrets, read Herminia Ibarra’s deep dive into the nuances of “authenticity” and how leaders can navigate being real in the face of cross-cultural differences, communicating appropriately for the situation, and handling difficult feedback.

Our friend and colleague Mike Robbins is releasing his latest book, Bring Your Whole Self to Work, this month. We featured is powerful blog post last week, and more people opened it than anything we’ve sent out since our founding. If you pre-order the book from his website, you’ll also get a special bundle of audio programs. mike-robbins.com

There is a revolution in the workplace, and authenticity is at its heart. Each time we show more of who we really are, we take a personal step, and inspire those around us.

We wish you well on your personal journey of authenticity. It takes courage, and we believe it is well worth the reward.

Roni and The People Piece Team
We develop great leaders, managers, and teams

PS: If you are in the San Francisco Bay Area, check out Mike’s book launch at Book Passage in Corte Madera this coming Saturday, May 5th!