Leadership Institute at Columbus State University

Barriers to Being Authentic at Work When I first began hearing the increasing trend of promoting authenticity at work, I was on the fence. I would not bring my weekend self to work. Meaning the sweatpants and hair-tied look would not be appropriate when working with clients. I used to think bringing your authentic self to work meant rolling in to work with the hot mess baggage we often leave at the elevator doors. Based on the research and thinking about bringing my true self to the workplace, I have a better appreciation and understanding of authenticity at work. A survey administered by Simmons University Institute for Inclusive Leadership of more than 6,000 professionals, found that 93% agree “being authentic at work is important.” But why? Authenticity leads to job satisfaction at work. Survey respondents feel more confident at work, are more engaged, happier, more inspired, and feel better about themselves and the company (Simmons University Institute for Inclusive Leadershi

  Self-Advocacy at Work After landing your first career job, did you ever think: I will stay in this position forever. If you saw yourself advancing beyond your first role but now seem to have hit a roadblock, keep reading. Traditionally, in the workplace, we feel networking or job shadowing is the key to advancing one’s career. Is this still true today? Our friends on social media think the opposite. When it comes to advancing your career 50% of respondents selected “being good at what you do”. Some may be thinking if it was that easy, I would’ve been promoted or would have received robust job offers by now. But advancing your career doesn’t stop at just being good at your job, you must learn to advocate for yourself. What does it take to be an advocate for yourself at work? Gain clarity To advocate for yourself, you must first have a clear understanding of what you want. Ask yourself what are my strengths? Creating a list of things you’re good at can help you nail down the