Authenticity at work boosts team performance

The importance of authenticity is not a novel concept: it’s been acknowledged as far back as Shakespeare’s Hamlet (“to thine own self be true!”). It’s since been shown that consistently behaving and thinking in a way that matches your values, emotions and beliefs increases the likelihood of reaching your potential. Renowned psychologists such as Maslow and Rogers even consider it a basic human need.

Authentic leadership – what bestselling management authors Bill George and Peter Sims dubbed your “True North” – has risen up the leadership agenda over the last 25 years. Research has shown authenticity to be vital for developing trust at both a team and an organisational level. In healthcare settings, where I am based, it’s been shown that this in turn leads to improved patient outcomes.

• Member exclusive: Bill George & Peter Sims on discovering your authentic leadership – read in ManagementDirect

Authenticity is crucial for perfomance and wellbeing

There’s more. Inspired by my own personal workplace experiences of its polar opposite dynamic – inauthenticity – I recently conducted a novel study into the link between authenticity, wellbeing and performance as part of my CMI-assessed Level 7 senior leader apprenticeship at the University of Sheffield. 

Surveying over 300 staff within a large charity delivering mental health care, I found that authenticity is a crucial factor in improving perceptions of team performance and psychological wellbeing.

If you want to leverage this insight to optimise your team’s performance, there are a few more things you should know.