Please stop telling people to “fake it until you make it”. It’s an old piece of career advice that is often shared with the best intentions. The rationale is that if someone responds to a new challenge by adopting successful behaviors, their confidence will eventually catch up. Unfortunately, most of us have internalized the harmful message that showing up as we are at work is unacceptable. We believe that people prefer the successful show we put on instead of our real selves. Almost every week, I hear coaching clients describe aspects of themselves they wish they could change. In their drive to belong and excel, they have taken self-improvement to extremes and value the appearance of expertise over deeper personal alignment and authenticity.
Here are 10 ways I have seen “Faking It” hurt organizations and deplete leaders:
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