The On-going Choice of Authenticity

In a recent post, I put forth the idea that an essential part of Integral Leadership is an authentic stance in the world. However, authenticity, it seems to me, is not widely understood.

What is authenticity? Authenticity is simultaneously being true to where we find ourselves and our freedom in that. Let's explore what this means by first looking at inauthenticity.

We often get trapped in seemingly being true to where we find ourselves without simultaneously being true to our freedom. This is called inauthenticity. In our inauthenticity we take ourselves to be victims of our past, to be locked in to certain given futures, and to have no choice in the present about it. In other words, we aren't being true to our freedom but instead taking ourselves to be imprisoned.

Here is typical example of an inauthentic complaint, "Sorry I didn't get that task done, I have no time to work on it." The person speaking this feels victimized or trapped by "having no time." The cost of taking an inauthentic stance such as this is that it disempowers us, paralyzes us, and we numb ourselves to our situation instead of owning it. So inauthenticity becomes a vicious cycle unless we awaken ourselves with an authentic response.

A more authentic response to the same situation would be, "Sorry I didn't get that task done, it wasn't a priority for me and I didn't complete it." The person speaking this is owning where she is - I haven't completed the task - and owning her choice of priorities. Within her authentic stance, she is both owning where she finds herself and her freedom in choosing her priorities in the first place and in choosing different priorities going forward.

Authenticity is not a moral stance, although it is too easily taken to be one. The condition of authenticity is inauthenticity itself. We can't have one without the other.

An authentic stance is an on-going choice to own our situation and our freedom in it - our freedom to reinterpret our past, our freedom to craft and project new identities and narratives into our future, and our freedom to remain open, vulnerable, and receptive in the present.

So inauthenticity is a form of self-betrayal. But it is not a trap for we can never be cut off entirely from our authenticity. The possibility of an authentic response is always present. All we must do is to own it and act from our authentic self. This is easy to say but not so easy to do always. This is a state of being self-led - that is led by our True Self. This is a life-long practice - a practice of presence.

And in my experience, this is essential to Integral Leadership.

Take care,

-Steve

Comments

[Amiel]

Excellent distinction.
Question: If the task "wasn't a priority," is it authentic to say "Sorry" unless the other person was actually harmed? This seems to me like a reflexive and often inauthentic way to begin speaking.

[Steve]

Amiel,

Great point. I think you are right that apologies are often used automatically and therefore inauthentically.

And, if you failed to fulfill on a commitment to someone, an (authentic) apology is in order to take care of the relationship.

Thanks for your comments. Take care,

-Steve