Goffee, J. & Jones, G. (2005). Managing authenticity. Harvard business review. 83(12), 86-94.

A leader needs to have dual personalities in order to be effective. Today’s leaders must maintain an authentic connection with the company while still maintaining a strong leadership role. It is the art of presenting different parts of their personalities at the right time. The authentic leader is part of the company’s culture and is still able to distinguish themselves from the ‘pack’.

Today’s CLIC manager works in an authentic environment so I do not think the idea of leadership paradoxes is relevant. This is not to say that many of the concepts presented could be utilized. When someone is brought into a CLIC from the outside there is always a period of adjustment. Presenting one’s authentic self can help ease the transition. Knowing which parts of your personality are best suited for a particular situation is a skill every professional should have.

I am curious to see if the presented research can be applied to other sectors, or if it is strictly a business phenomenon. The authors touched on the line between authenticity and manipulation. This is a subject that warrants further exploration.