On Authenticity…

By Jackson T. Moser

There is an ever-present and eternal attribute that continues to plague the American workplace. It disguises and masked itself brilliantly in every moment except the moments that matter, and puffs us up only to be embarrassed when the rubber needs to hit the road. Its name is fear and it takes many forms: fear of not-knowing, fear of being phony, fear of asking for help, fear of not having control, fear of…

Fear.

Combine this inherent trait with a generation who is said to be entitled, impatient, and lazy (though the verdict is still out on these) and you have a disaster waiting. What you end up with are individuals who appear to have everything together—the college education, the suit, the hair, the car, all because of mom and dad—but in reality, couldn’t do the accounting they learned in 101. That might be harsh, but that is the perception, and very rapidly, what statistics are showing us.

But as a disclaimer, it is important to say first, that fear is not an all bad thing. It’s actually a part of our hardwired chemical make-up. Fear is the byproduct, along with stress, of the chemical cortisol. This chemical is released when we sense danger or a threat of some sort that could harm us in various ways—physical, mental, or emotional. In business, this could be deadlines, co-workers, or different tasks. If there is something or someone that moves us to a level of discomfort, the body naturally releases cortisol and triggers the “fight-or-flight” instinct. Here, we make a decision to face the stressor or avoid it by whatever means necessary.

So while fear may very well be a natural and good reaction to a situation, the level to which it factors into the business sector is higher than perhaps ever before. Today, statistics show that there are more overweight, diabetic, depressed, disease-prone individuals than any other period in American history. Thus, the correlation between high-stress workplaces and mental and physical diseases should be taken into great consideration by all leaders.

So what’s the solution?

There are several ideas that businesses and organizations can sift through in order to create more stress-free environments for their employees. One of statistically high impact is to foster an environment where individuals can express their thoughts freely, confess weaknesses, praise achievements and be more empathetic.

I’m suggesting an environment of authenticity.

Why is there an expectation that you alone must know the answer to every question that may be asked? Why do we place such emphasis on becoming an expert and not a student? Why is in not okay to ask for help? Why do we silo ourselves in our offices and tremble when we can’t figure out a solution to a problem? Why are some crippled by the fear of saying “I don’t know, but let’s look into it.”? Since when has it not been okay to collaborate ideas and find those who have strengths in your areas of weakness?

Unfortunately, we cannot pinpoint exact moments of when businesses and organizations shifted to such an individualistic production based model, but we do know that it has contributed undisputedly to the rates of physical and mental sicknesses and allowed fear to prevent some organizations from achieving even greater success. These companies focused so much on driving their people to produce, produce, produce, that they have started killing them off, sometimes literally, as a result.

Fortunately for us, there is another chemical that does the opposite of cortisol. Where cortisol makes us tense, heightens our defensiveness, and walls us up, oxytocin develops feelings of trust, security, and generosity. Authenticity, I believe, is a way of manufacturing oxytocin and thus creating a trusting and trustworthy environment where individuals feel safe to ask questions, operate honestly, and produce at higher rates with greater enjoyment.

What does authenticity do?

As a leader, you must understand that you are leading people. And people are not black and white like the numbers on reports. People feel and react in sometimes unpredictable ways. To combat the unpredictability of feelings, creating and nurturing a community of individuals who trust one another, ask for help without the fear of being fired or made to feel inadequate, work collaboratively on projects, and speak freely is almost guaranteed to be reproduced.

What’s fascinating about oxytocin is that it is contagious. Oxytocin is released by an act of authenticity, trust, generosity, etc., it is released when receiving an act of the same, and released even by witnessing an act. By reframing our organizations to be open, unsiloed, and authentic, we thus create an environment for success both in the people and product.

A study done by Paul J. Zak and recorded in a Harvard Business Review  article shows that in organizations of “high-trust”, employees experience, “74% less stress, 106% more energy at work, 50% higher productivity, 13% fewer sick days, 76% more engagement, 29% more satisfaction with their lives, and 40% less burnout”. The correlation between authentic, trusting environments resulting in all-around healthy, productive employees is irrefutable.

How can we create this kind of workplace?

For starters, leaders must act in ways that show they truly care more for their employees than the product. After all, it’s the employees making the product—no employees, no product. When an employee feels that their leader would go to battle for them, they are statistically more likely to work with enthusiasm, care for company assets and property, and produce at a higher level, quantitatively and qualitatively.

Yes. It can really be that simple. Ask what you can do for them, instead of telling them what they have to do for you. This kind of top-down paradigm shift from Serve Me to Serve Thee enhances oxytocin production, enriches the quality of work, and spreads like wildfire throughout the organization to even the most junior employee.

Employees ultimately want security. Even in unforeseeable, challenging times, businesses and organizations can be extremely successful if their employees know that their leaders will do whatever it takes to protect their livelihood. In some studies, employees even offered a cut in their pay or took more unpaid time off in order to ensure the success of their organization because they had a leader who they believed in. This starts with a commitment from leaders to know and invest in their employees.

Secondly, leaders must exterminate the idea that weaknesses are detriments to the business. With the existence of this perception in the organization, fear and stress run untamed and uncaged. Employees are imprisoned by the mundane tasks they have been doing for years, and their creativity is smashed by the thought of running into an area that could create a challenge and potentially lead to a talk with the boss. They stick to what they know because they are afraid that something new might expose a weakness, regardless of how much profit their idea might ensue. The excited, creative, imaginative employee you hired is now a robot.

But what if showing weaknesses can paradoxically be the greatest strength of an organization?

By first cultivating a Serve Thee company ethos, you necessarily create a safe, free, honest and open environment. In these types of settings people are not afraid to say, “I don’t know”, or “I’m not good at X, Y, or Z.” And when companies reach this point, they can better place their employees in areas and on teams that suit their passions, talents, and abilities, rather than keep them confined to robotic production.

Simply because an employee works in a certain department does not mean that they are talented or equipped for everything that comes out of that area. But if leaders know the strengths and weaknesses of their employees, they can then utilize them to their maximum potential based on who they are as unique people, not as production line grunts. This yields great profit but requires an honest, empathetic, and authentic acceptance toward people’s strengths and weaknesses. 

Leaders must be authentic to have authenticity reciprocated.

Leaders have to be vulnerable enough themselves to say “I’m not sure but let’s figure this out together”. Only in these moments can trust, loyalty and dedication begin to develop. It goes much further with employees for their leader to be honest with them—good or bad—than to appear to have things together and suppress the potential of horrible mistakes. Again, employees want security.

Businesses and organizations rightly use the SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis or a variation for internal reviews and planning. But how often do they concern themselves with the strengths and weaknesses of the people who give their time and energy every day, yet go unnoticed, underutilized, but could have an immense impact?

And to think, all you had to do is ask. All this culture shift requires is an intentionality by those in perceived leadership roles to stop and ask Peter, an employee of 32 two years, what he thinks the line needs to be better. Or calling Maggie, the youngest and newest hire, into the office to get her initial perspective and ask how she’s feeling about her role. It requires seeing past the numbers on the report to feeling and investing with and alongside those you spend 40+ hours per week with, regardless of rank or position.

Yes, it really is that simple.