Is "Authentic Communications" Spinning Out of Control?

Nope. It's not.

If you want to break it down, "authentic communications" isn't a strategy or a value. There's really nothing bold about it. Because authenticity derives from the premise that being human is not only enough, it's everything. And having the courage and capacity to strip away the filters between your "work self" and your "personal self" is paramount to finding your niche, attracting the right people and (to be blunt) staying sane in a teetering world.

To authentically communicate with anyone requires a commitment to transparency and truth. We need to embrace ourselves unconditionally and fight through our own fears about showing people who we really are. We need to share what drives us, what keeps us up at night and the quirks that feed our most valuable assets-- creativity, vulnerability and the need for change. Are you prepared for that? Is your business?

Because authenticity, for many of us, is not our reality. We aspire to be clear and honest in our communications with stakeholders. But how much is too much? Today, we have to trust in our inherent uniqueness and differentiators in order to attract and maintain our tribes. We have to stand in our integrity even when it feels risky. Whereas we might instinctively strive for the most "eyeballs" on our content, we miss the fact that it's our most loyal followers that bring in new people and experiences and ideas... because they trust us.

As a PR person and content developer, I'm delighted at the evolution of our industry over the last few years. We understand now that building loyalty and trust with all of our audiences-- media, clients, consumers, colleagues, experts-- is not based not on how we get people to pay attention to us. It's based on how we can attract the people who need us.

We have to dare to be ourselves, state what we want and go boldly in the direction of our instincts. We have to be willing to change as we go, not be attached to outcomes and do the hard work of figuring out who we are in business and in life.

On Amazon, there are 31,582 books on "Leadership." That's a lot. And chances are, you'll see quite a bit of advice about "how to fail," "going from zero to hero," "building your team," and much more. So how are you different? That's easy. You're you. That motorcycle accident in the 11th grade. That crippling bout of depression during college. That husband who was abusive. That time you went to jail because you forgot to pay some parking tickets. These make you human. These are stories that exist in every family, in every community and in every walk of life.

I'm not saying you should share all of the facets of your life with colleagues without context. But more often than not, we can share important moments of insight and growth that can help us learn and deepen our commitments to our causes and to each other. In the world of special education, professionals often say, "Behavior is communication." That means when you're stuck, overwhelmed and unsure of what to say or do, we often seize up and clamp down. We barricade ourselves in an effort to protect our mental health and our intellectual experiences. Or we lash out through haphazard decisions. But it doesn't have to be that way.

Authentic communications-- whether expressed through a piece of content, a press release or a speech-- have the magical effect of attracting the right people directly to you. I've seen it time and time again. All it takes is trusting that other people-- most people-- want exactly the same thing. The truth.

Jennifer Robenalt is a senior public relations professional and freelance writer based in Austin, Texas. Visit www.jhrcommunications.com for more information.