Why Authenticity Matters | Karissa Thacker | TEDxWilmington

Karissa Thacker begins her talk with an anecdote. She was discussing why authentic leadership matters with a reporter, when the reporter asked about authentic asshole bosses. This memory leads Thacker to consider the source of the widespread negativity in workplaces, when the drive to positive authenticity seems actually wired into humans. She describes a manner of short-circuiting -- when we adapt to frightening or threatening forces in the real word, we armor up. That armor becomes habitual and negative.
She even describes her own armor, and how over time, it became a habit, closing off many opportunities for authenticity. Eventually she realized that she was not following the 2 real principles of authenticity:
1 -- Stay in touch with what really matters. Slow down and take your own measure.
2 -- Summon the courage and stand up and follow through when it matters.
Being authentic is not easy -- showing up as your real self is an art, that requires facing fear and conquering it.
Karissa is founder and president of Strategic Performance Solutions Inc., a management training and consulting firm dedicated to elevating people to reach their highest potential. Over the past two decades Karissa has done just that for countless individuals, working with many Fortune 100® companies to drive performance and leadership growth.
Karissa is often quoted in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, MSNBC, and is a sought-after authority on the subject of authentic leadership. Her articles have appeared in the Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, and elsewhere. She is the author of The Art of Authenticity (Wiley, 2016), a guidebook on how to transform your career by tapping into your authentic self.
This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at ted.com/tedx

[@sechale]

Great talk, nicely summarized points!

[@nicj5354]

I'm the world's best me 🙂

[@stndsure7275]

What a load of nonsense - this has no relation whatsoever what authenticity means as determined by Nietzcha, Heidigger, Carl Jung, etc. etc. Authenticity is not something we are born with it is something we realize through a lifetime of effort under demanding circumstances. I hope someday she gets this.

[@aroushzahra7781]

Yes authenticity is a skill this skill can be developed can be wekend with passage of time...

[@Musa0975]

I do like this video. But this is too long. I feel like Ted talkers need to sit down.
I would never fo these Ted talks standing up.