7 Reasons Why Authenticity Is Your Greatest Asset

What if you could turn your flaws into strengths? Opening up about your weaknesses and struggles can transform them from sources of shame into powerful points of connection. Being authentic and embracing your quirks enables you to bond with others over your shared humanity, making it easier to build rapport.?

Social media culture pushes us to present a perfect, contrived image of ourselves and our lives. However, research suggests that owning your imperfections instead of hiding them will help you come across as more trustworthy and likable, both online and off. Embracing authenticity also frees you from the burden of pretending to be someone you’re not, improving your mental health and self-esteem in the process.?

Below we’ll explore seven reasons why authenticity is your greatest personal and professional asset. We’ll also discuss big and small ways to practice it, from being honest when you’re feeling stressed to writing a nonfiction book that provides hope and help to others.?

Authenticity Builds Business Relationships and Brand Loyalty?

In today’s competitive business environment, many of us feel pressure to maintain a flawless professional brand. You may worry that opening up will jeopardize the positive reputation you’ve worked hard to build. However, studies have shown that showing up authentically at work could actually benefit your career.?

Researchers have found that being honest when you’re feeling nervous or stressed can make you seem more likable and relatable to colleagues, improving your relationship. Asking for advice when you need it can also make you appear more competent in the eyes of superiors and mentors. The benefits of vulnerability even extend to the C-suite. According to Harvard Business Review, executives courageous enough to share their weaknesses are rewarded with increased trust and cooperation from employees.?

Authenticity can also help businesses rise above the competition. According to Forbes, companies that embrace transparency in order to build trust with customers outperform their competitors by up to 400%. Consumers are more likely to remain loyal to brands that come across as sincere and embody positive values like sustainability. Patagonia is a shining example of mission-driven success. Its revenue has quadrupled over the last decade without compromising ethics. Patagonia strives to reduce emissions, in part by reselling secondhand gear and donating profits to environmental charities. The company’s efforts to protect the Earth are clearly laid out on its website, fostering a sense of openness and accountability that attracts eco-conscious customers in droves.?

Become a Thought Leader By Being Vulnerable

Over one million professionals claim to be a thought leader on their LinkedIn profile. Without the right marketing strategy, your insights could get lost in this sea of thought leadership content. In order to stand out, you must build a strong, memorable personal brand. According to top marketing influencer Brooke Sellas, increasing your level of self-disclosure online is key to establishing yourself as an authority in your industry.?

Instead of focusing solely on facts and data, Brooke suggests weaving your feelings, values, and experiences into your posts to help people get to know you better. Since we’re more likely to believe and take advice from people we find relatable, it’s important to establish a personal connection with your audience by opening up.?

Creating interactive content like polls and Q&A videos can also improve rapport with your fans by making your relationship feel more reciprocal. Encouraging followers to share their thoughts and give you feedback will demonstrate that you care about them and their success. Interactive posts are also more attention-grabbing and engaging than static content, so they could help boost your discoverability on crowded social media platforms.?

Finally, remember that authentic thought leaders don’t pretend to have a crystal ball. Although it’s difficult to admit when you don’t know something, insisting that you have all the answers can make potential followers skeptical. Nearly a third of professionals say that they still have a lot to learn about their industry. So being honest about your knowledge gaps and working to shore them up will help your audience identify with you and cultivate trust.?

Transform Society Through Authentic Storytelling

When ideas are shared through compelling, authentic storytelling, they can spread like wildfire. For instance, Malala Yousafzai bravely opened up about the brutal attack she suffered for daring to advocate for girls’ education. Although her activism caused her to be targeted by a Taliban gunman, she didn’t allow his act of violence to intimidate or silence her. Malala continued to tell her story and fight for educational equity, capturing the attention of global leaders and the world at large. Her inspirational advocacy work earned her the Nobel Peace Prize, making her the youngest winner in history.?

Although the specific details of every overcomer story are different, these unique narratives all have the power to change the world. Following Malala’s example and speaking out about our own traumas can help transform society by winning hearts and minds. Research has shown that well-crafted narratives can strongly influence people’s values and move them to take positive action to improve society. After reading about a tragedy, participants in a recent study experienced an empathetic response that drove them to donate to charity.?

Researchers have also found that our brains viscerally react to stories, almost as if we’re experiencing the events firsthand. Writing about your struggles will allow readers to walk in your shoes and gain an understanding of the hardships you’ve endured. The newfound perspective and empathy readers will take away from your book will enable them to better support other survivors. So if you want to make the world a kinder, more compassionate place, becoming an author is a great place to start.?

Share Your Truth to Help Others (and Yourself)

If you aren’t a public figure or celebrity, you may worry that you’ll be perceived as self-involved or vain for writing a book about your life. Some authors are also afraid to broach sensitive topics or expose family secrets in their writing because they don’t want to offend or hurt anyone. However, the upsides of sharing your truth far outweigh any possible downsides.?

It’s a common misconception that nonfiction authors chronicle their lives out of self-interest. In actuality, memoirists bare their souls to give readers the inspiration and motivation they need to persevere through hardships. Telling your story has the potential to provide hope and help to countless others experiencing dark times.?

When blogger Lynn Persin gathered the strength to write about her stillbirth, the post quickly went viral and touched tens of thousands of people. Friends, acquaintances, and even strangers gave their condolences and opened up about their own miscarriages in the comment section. By being vulnerable, Persin created a safe space for parents to grieve together. The sense of community and catharsis her blog fostered helped her readers and herself feel less alone after enduring heartbreaking loss.

Being vulnerable not only unites strangers, but can also help heal strained family relationships. Award-winning author Darien Hsu Gee was able to reconnect with her brother by showing him the heartfelt personal essays she wrote about their estrangement. True, authentic narratives have the power to bring people together because of the physiological changes they produce in our bodies. Research has found that reading a good storyline promotes the release of oxytocin, a hormone that bonds us to others and relaxes us. Both readers and authors can experience positive health benefits from stories, including lower blood pressure, reduced stress and pain levels, improved mental well-being, and better sleep. To learn more about the healing power of writing a book, check out last month’s blog post.?

If you aren’t ready to reveal your innermost thoughts, you can still connect with others by sharing nostalgic memories. Reading sentimental personal anecdotes can restore our sense of optimism and improve our mood. So if your goal is to provide hope and help to the world, don’t forget to write about happy times too. Showing readers how your life has improved after trauma can reassure them that there’s light at the end of the tunnel.?

Authenticity Can’t Be Automated?

As society grapples with the negative consequences of artificial intelligence, such as misinformation and deepfakes, the demand for relatable, human voices is growing. In 2023, Merriam-Webster’s word of the year was “authenticity,” reflecting the increasing focus on what’s real in a world full of digital influences. As technology advances and threatens to displace workers, your honesty and vulnerability will remain competitive advantages because they can’t be automated. Your unique perspective stems from your lived experiences, hard-won wisdom, and heartfelt emotions, which AI can’t replicate. While automation follows programmed rules, authenticity requires deep personal insight. This is your innate strength that technology can’t outmatch, no matter how sophisticated it becomes.

Although ChatGPT and other AI-powered writing tools are capable of generating intelligible text, their work can never match the literary quality and inherent worth of your story. In fact, studies have shown that art created by humans is viewed as more skillful, desirable, and valuable than pieces produced by AI. While ChatGPT is getting better at copying different writing styles and techniques, audiences vastly prefer stories with a creative, human touch.

Boost Your Confidence by Being True to Yourself

Being honest about who you are to yourself and others can help boost your confidence and banish imposter syndrome. Psychology experts say that changing your personality or compromising your values to gain external validation can make you feel like a fraud. Hiding your true self and engaging in people-pleasing behavior can cause your achievements to feel unearned. After all, it wasn’t the “real you” who succeeded—it was the persona you’ve created to fit in.?

You may worry that if you drop the mask, you’ll fail or be rejected. Imposter syndrome can also rear its head when you put your desires and morals on the backburner. Ignoring your purpose and living out of step with your values can erode your sense of self, making you feel “fake.”

Leading with authenticity improves your self-esteem by aligning your actions with your beliefs. The sense of integrity you’ll gain by following your values will boost your self-assurance and confidence in your decisions. Because authentic pursuits are fueled by intrinsic motivation rather than external pressure, being true to yourself can also increase your dedication to work and hobbies. You may even find that your relationships deepen when you show up as your genuine self. Although surface-level connections may fall away once you stop being a social chameleon, your remaining friendships will reach a new level of closeness.?

Vulnerability Can Help Secure Your Legacy?

Living from a place of sincerity leaves a lasting impact on the world. When you embrace vulnerability, your actions inspire others and create a ripple effect that extends far beyond your immediate circle. Bringing your true self and innate gifts to the table gives everyone around you permission to do the same, setting off a chain reaction of authenticity.?

Although letting your guard down isn’t easy, doing so is necessary if you want to enjoy a richer life and secure your legacy. In the words of bestselling author Brené Brown, “Vulnerability is a risk, but it's the only path to deeper connections and meaningful experiences.” Closing parts of ourselves off from the world to avoid rejection prevents us from feeling joy and belonging to the fullest extent possible. Putting up walls may seem safer in the short run, but ultimately leads to loneliness and regret when we reflect on the relationships and opportunities we missed. Acting on your values and allowing your real personality to shine through will help you fulfill your purpose and be remembered the way you want to be.?

The World Needs Your Wisdom?

The wisdom gained from a well-lived, authentic life is invaluable and shouldn’t be forgotten. Capturing your insights in a book will cement your legacy, ensuring that future generations benefit from your advice. The world needs more thought leaders to share both their struggles and triumphs so others can learn from them. If you’re ready to tell your story and make your mark, Nancy’s book coaching program will help you become a published author in just one year.?

Vulnerability doesn’t always come easily, so it’s beneficial to have a caring expert to guide you through the writing process. Nancy’s proven writing methodology will enable you to crystallize your message, avoid creative blocks, and reach your full potential as an author. You’ll begin by writing a Purpose Statement, which is a single sentence that summarizes the core message you want readers to take away from your book. Then you’ll work on creating BookMAPs that outline all the content you plan to include in your manuscript. With these writing roadmaps in hand, you won’t waste time drafting tangential passages that deviate from your book’s true purpose.?

Reach out to learn more about how Nancy can support you on your journey to authentic authorship.