Authenticity Is the Latest Business Buzzword — But Don't Fall Into Its Trap. You Need to Balance It With This.

Key Takeaways Why are authentic leaders so appealing? That is a question that has been discussed extensively in the business landscape over the past few years. As someone who regularly consumes business literature, I get the hype — employees are more likely to trust and follow someone honest, vulnerable and not faking their entire personality. While I see the value in leading with genuineness, my experiences as a CEO lead me to believe there is more to the story.

Does being yourself guarantee success in a constantly changing market? Let's use this example: a leader in the mobile phone industry who is really passionate about a certain product, but finds it hard to change direction when customer needs and market trends evolve. The rise of smartphones and their resistance to this revolution leads to a loss of market share. The leader's rigidity, often disguised as a commitment to their original vision (their authenticity), restricts the company's ability to innovate.

Authenticity alone will not get the job done in sectors characterized by rapid change that continuously forces leaders to adapt and make tough decisions. There have been moments in my entrepreneurial journey when being transparent and vulnerable has worked out for me, and there have been instances when it hasn't. While developing my payment platform, I faced a dilemma related to the business model and profitability .

There was pressure to introduce hidden fees to ensure the business model was sustainable, but this.