I once knew someone who fell-in-like with the buzzword of 2017/8 – “authenticity”.
She then felt it was her duty to demand authenticity in others – mostly friends and colleagues - by confronting them on their mistakes, pasts, choices and lifestyles.It became her life mission to mandate authenticity from others.
Yet her own life was dying for a spiritual Marie Kondo fix – it was a menagerie of flakiness, mistakes, anger, bitterness and jealousy due to her personal choices covered in layers of designer clothes, expensive cars and the right postcode.
Needless to say, people saw right through her cloak of self-appointed authenticity. She became one of many people out there pandering a buzzword and claiming to embody it, when not really living up to it.
Let’s also be very clear, authenticity is not a value or principle in itself.
While the social meaning of it relates to being true to your own innate goodness, the actual meaning of the word simply means ‘based on facts.’
So if the true fact is that someone is an insecure, fearful person they're authentically insecure.
Or if they're hurtful and destructive in nature, then they're authentically toxic.
If they treat people badly, keep doing their dirt and throwing shade while claiming to be authentic, then they're authentically a terrible person to know.
It seems the very people who walk around demanding authenticity are usually the ones most authentically broken, unhappy, insecure and anxious.
Here’s the 411: If you have to tell people that you’re authentic, you’re not.
A truly genuine, good and generous authentic life doesn’t need to be stated. It’s felt, in your actions, in your follow through and in your consistency.
When it comes to business, some brands and personalities use the word ‘authenticity’ to try and elicit emotional responses purely to further leverage their ‘appeal’ and grow awareness.
They plan a slew of fancy purpose led campaigns in market, touting their caring, authentic, sincere culture.
Yet the same brands won’t respond to customer complaints, slash staff healthcare benefits, won’t cover employee insurance and /or are outed for bad people management.
Their attempts to be considered a trusted brand never work out in the end because they feel inauthentic - untrue, when compared to the facts.
So … beware of pandering to buzzwords and expecting people to live up to their ludicrous shared meanings.
Just check yourself, truly transform from within and please stop repeating them.
Period.
Insight Inspiration:
Being credible and truly bonding with others through shared values, attitudes, and behaviours has a more long-term effect than buzzwords do.
Especially since people and consumers are more distrustful than ever before.
Make sure the emotions that you’re trying to elicit feel true to who you as a personality and as a business.
Be who you promise people you are, and be clear about where you see your brand going.
Your brand must behave true to yourself and to your heart at every touch point in order to create an emotional impact that sticks with people in the right ways.
Avoid purpose led public campaigns until every member of your staff is living and breathing that purpose.
As a brand leader, make sure what you say is what you live – especially at home and in your friendships and relationships.
Don’t spend your private life warring with your partner, shouting at your kids, gossiping about your friends and envying those working hard at their grind, then slap on a fake smile before you walk into the office and demand authenticity, thinking people can’t see the inconsistency.
Get real with yourself and your brand first.
Then STFU and live it.
