Authentic leadership is a hot topic. But what if bringing your whole self to work is a terrible idea? In this episode of Management Muse, Cindi Baldi and Geoffrey Tumlin tackle the tension between being real and being reckless. What if being authentic doesn’t make you a better manager, just a more difficult one?

From the importance of self-monitoring to the paradox of power, Cindi and Geoff unpack what it means to show up at work without blowing up. You’ll learn why awareness matters more than rawness, how emotional regulation helps you meet the moment, and why the best managers actually aren’t always authentic.

Whether you're steering a team or quietly questioning your coworker’s fourth overshare of the week, this conversation brings clarity (and a few laughs) to one of the most misguided ideas in modern work culture.

Episode Highlights:

Why bringing your authentic self to work isn’t always a good idea
The importance of alignment and awareness
How and why many leadership trends are self-defeating
The dilemma of power
How leather jackets (and other stuff) can change a leader

Watch This Episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/rEvWlLV_ORY

Purchase your copy of The Uncertainty Playbook here

Want to Go Deeper? Check Out Our Recommended Reading:

Pfeffer, Jeffrey. Power: Why Some People Have It — and Others Don’t. Harper Business, 2010. https://www.amazon.com/Power-Some-People-Have-Others/dp/0061789089
Snyder, Mark. “Self-Monitoring of Expressive Behavior.” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, vol. 30, no. 4, 1979, pp. 526–537. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0037039

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Ep 79 - The Authenticity Trap: When Real Goes Wrong in Leadership