Developing Authenticity: Building a character for yourself

Dear Vibrant Young Minds,

Have you ever felt like you are a person hiding behind a mask? Behaving in one manner around your colleagues and another with your boss, all just to fit in. We are living inauthentically when we do not present ourselves genuinely to each person the same way. N.R Narayana Murthy, co-founder of Indian tech giant Infosys once said, “A ship is safest at the harbor, but that is not where it is supposed to be."

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In simple words, authenticity is the quality of being real or genuine. Understanding the importance of building character can take us a long way in terms of growth and limitations. Staying true to yourself helps to carry out a more tranquil life, with no worries about what we said or did since our motivations were right. Living authentically develops a unique personality of transparency to establish long-term relationships. This in turn acts as a competency towards sustainable leadership. The ability to trust yourself and your intentions helps lead relationships with integrity and self-esteem. Showing your employees your character and virtues builds a trustworthy bond and indirectly a more productive team.

Most people spend their entire lives searching for themselves, to find out who they are, their character and ambitions. But character has no boundaries, it can be enhanced over time through our good traits and actions. It is the backbone to our mind and body, which is developed through experiences where we learn from failures. As our character flourishes we grow a personality that is suited to us, therefore it permeates our decisions, thoughts, and interactions.

Being authentic is not a skill that can be acquired overnight, to develop authenticity we must follow daily practices that lead to a lifetime of self-discovery. Here are a few tips to help:

1. Self-acceptance - Live by who you are, trust the importance of understanding the way your mind works. Just knowing, appreciating, and accepting ourselves are critical inputs to being genuine

2. Work with integrity - Set your own personal and career goal, commit to working towards them with your own values and beliefs. Pursue, live, and work according to these values.

3. Communicate honestly - This requires empathy, it is the necessity to convey your thoughts while respecting the other person's feelings and morals. Communication is a form of building trust so always remember to keep your word.

4. Develop self-confidence - Be sure of who you are and trust you have control over aspects of your life. Work with an open-minded attitude to learn from your strengths and weaknesses.

5. Do not make assumptions - Never judge someone for their mistakes, observe them based on their actions. Show the respect that you would like in return.

“Authenticity is about being true to who you are, even when everyone around you wants you to be someone else.” - Michael Jordan

The bottom line is that our character is the only thing we will end with. Our character is what makes us authentic, it defines who we are, our relationships, how people perceive us, and our actions. Ultimately, authenticity is the root of trust, experience, and growth.