How to be authentic with your colleagues
Imagine this: You’ve worked hard for months, and finally, that long-awaited vacation arrives. Day one: your out-of-office is active, but you’re still mentally tethered to your to-do list. But by day four or five, something shifts. You feel relaxed, creative, joyful — you’ve started simply being.
What if you could bring that day-five feeling to work, and create a culture where others can access it too? Imagine how that could transform how you show up and work together.
In this article, we explore this underappreciated — but absolutely foundational — aspect of high-performing workplaces. We’ll look at what authenticity is, why it matters, and what it takes to show up more authentically.
People shouldn’t have to hide who they are at work
In 2022, we conducted a global study on LinkedIn. 75% of respondents said they hide or censor elements of who they are and downplay their abilities, skills, and knowledge at work. Three quarters of you don’t feel safe bringing your Authentic Self to work — this is the reality, and something we’re dedicated to addressing at the Psychological Safety Institute.
The symptoms of disconnection from your Authentic Self extend far beyond the office. Low confidence, impostor syndrome, and an overarching sense of “not being good enough” often manifest as excessive people-pleasing, pushing to achieve external validation, or ignoring intuition. At work, this might look like consistently agreeing when you disagree, avoiding sharing ideas, or feeling exhausted from maintaining a persona that doesn’t align with who you really are.
When authenticity is missing, the costs are real; organizations see less innovation, lower retention rates, and lingering communication issues. Conversely, when people feel free to be themselves, they communicate better, collaborate more effectively, and help create a culture where people get the best out of each other.
When we work with organizations to transform their cultures, helping employees build a stronger connection with their authentic selves is a critical piece of the puzzle. Because when you have a culture of authenticity, everything changes. You can feel the positivity when you walk through the door, there’s a can-do attitude at all levels, and there’s a sense of calm (instead of chaos). The energy is magnetic.
Being 100% unfiltered isn’t the goal
Think of it as the difference between the truth and the whole truth. Authenticity means what you do share is genuinely you — your real thoughts, feelings, and values. But you don’t have to share everything you think or feel in every moment.
It’s not about using “that’s just who I am” to justify unhelpful or disrespectful behaviour. This isn’t an argument for bringing every part of yourself into the workplace without accountability or boundaries. Authenticity isn’t an excuse to be unkind or unprofessional.
Instead, authenticity is self-awareness in action. It’s consciously aligning your behaviour with your intentions. It’s being sensitive towards people’s needs, and aware of your impact on others. It’s reading the room and responding thoughtfully. It’s showing up with integrity.
Respecting the choice to remain private
Not everyone feels comfortable bringing their full Authentic Self to work, and that’s ok. Personality, past experiences, or cultural and generational differences can all play a part in how much people wish to reveal. The goal is creating an environment where authenticity feels safe for those who choose it. Respect boundaries, value differences, and focus on creating an environment where everyone feels respected and supported to bring as much of themselves to work as they wish.
Letting the mask fall away
Your identity is how others perceive you and how you define yourself, based on your life experiences. Identity involves presenting versions of yourself shaped by what you believe others expect, what will gain approval, or what feels safe based on past experiences. At work, this manifests as a “professional mask”.
Your Authentic Self, however, is your truest, most genuine nature and essence beneath these accumulated layers. It’s who you really are when all the conditioning, expectations, and protective mechanisms fall away.
The holiday test perfectly illustrates this distinction. On day one of your vacation, you’re still operating from identity. But by day four or five, you’ve stopped thinking about how you should be. You just are.
That transformation is what we’re aiming to access at work. Not the removal of all boundaries or professionalism, but the elimination of the exhausting performance of being someone you’re not.
At the Psychological Safety Institute, authenticity is at the core of our methodology. We guide individuals and teams to reconnect to their Authentic Self, and if they choose to, bring more of it to work. We guide people along this journey at our Authentic Self Retreats, and with tools like our Authentic Self Journal — a practical route to building emotional intelligence, self-awareness, and communication skills.
Top tips for being more authentic at work
If you’re ready to work on being more authentic right now, we’ve outlined five key areas for you to focus on below:
Start with self-awareness
Begin by observing your thoughts without participating in them. Humans have thousands of thoughts daily, most being recycled patterns; raising awareness of negative thought loops allows you to reprogram them. Your thoughts create your reality, so changing destructive or unhelpful patterns directly impacts your experience of work (and wider life).
Identify and manage triggers
Notice what sparks negative emotions, thoughts, and behaviors at work. The typical cycle flows from negative thought to negative feeling to negative behavior. Instead of trying to numb feelings through external means, tackle the originating thought. When triggered by a colleague’s comment, pause. Do you need time to process before responding? Should you clarify what you heard? Often conflict stems from misunderstandings or unclear expectations.
Take radical responsibility
Own your behavior, actions, and their impact on others completely. Be honest about your abilities and knowledge level. When mistakes happen, acknowledge them immediately. Ask yourself regularly: “Where am I not taking full responsibility for my behavior and actions?”
Establish and communicate boundaries
Define your personal boundaries clearly, then communicate them. This includes limits on physical space, emotional expression, information consumption, and time for personal practices. Write a plan for communicating these boundaries to relevant colleagues, then execute it.
An authentic boundary might be: “I do my best thinking when I can reflect first. Can I get back to you by tomorrow morning with my thoughts?”
Address limiting beliefs
The most common limiting beliefs — “I’m worthless,” “I’ll be found out,” “I don’t deserve success” — all point to one core belief: “I’m not good enough.” For many professionals, especially those whose natural style doesn’t match traditional leadership stereotypes, these beliefs prevent authentic expression and pursuit of goals. Identifying and challenging them is crucial for authentic leadership at any level.
Creating ripple effects of safety
Here’s the powerful truth: authenticity is contagious.
For leaders reading this, remember that your authenticity sets the tone. As you signal comfort with authentic expression, whether through thoughtful questions, genuine reactions, or honest admissions of uncertainty, others recognize that it’s safe to begin opening up themselves. And when you act from a place of awareness and respect, this echoes through the workplace.
This is particularly powerful for introverted leaders who may have spent years trying to fit extroverted leadership models. Your authentic leadership style gives permission for others to contribute in their natural ways too.
The journey to workplace authenticity begins with a single step: choosing to show up as yourself. Introverted or extroverted. Reflective or spontaneous. One conversation at a time. These moments are the raw material of workplace culture, which every employee helps to shape.
Spark excitement about Authentic Self in your organization
Gina Battye, founder of the Psychological Safety Institute and author of ‘The Authentic Organization’, is a world-leading voice on authenticity at work.
For leaders looking to kick-start cultural transformation in their organizations, an Authentic Self talk is a fantastic place to start. Gina’s deep knowledge, boundless enthusiasm, and accessible delivery provide the perfect entry point into these ideas.
From senior executives to junior employees, people leave Gina’s Authentic Self sessions with newfound curiosity about themselves, more empathy toward each other, and a stronger sense of their role in building the culture they want to be part of. Interested?