To be Authentic or a Social Chameleon: What is the Right Approach?
Authenticity is the alignment of head, mouth, heart, and feet – thinking, saying, feeling, and doing the same thing – consistently. This builds trust, and followers love leaders they can trust. Lance Secretan
To be Authentic or a Social Chameleon?
Is it useful to be authentic or one should be a social chameleon? I have faced this question many times from people with diverse backgrounds. It’s difficult to answer this question. Some people are of the view that it is good to be authentic no matter what the situation is. These people are of the view that if you cannot be authentic in your behavior and interactions with others then you cannot be trusted, and you cannot become a true leader. These persons think that it is the authenticity that defines you as a person. Such people are staunch supporters of authenticity and believe that one should be authentic in his or her day to day behavior and interactions with others.
On the other hand, a large number of people think that it’s not feasible for an individual to be fully authentic in his or her life. These persons believe that it is better to be politically correct or a social chameleon rather than being authentic all the time. They are of the view that one should be practical in his or her behavior and interactions with other persons, and hence should act as per the demands of the situation. But when asked what kind of persons or leaders have inspired them in their life, these persons say that they are inspired by authentic persons or leaders who act in accordance to their values and beliefs.
On hearing these contradictory perspectives, many people face the dilemma of whether to be authentic or to be a social chameleon in his or her approach. To help people to overcome this dilemma, below I discuss the concepts of authenticity and social chameleon (in scientific terms – self-monitoring personality) and positive as well as negative aspects of both. In addition, I suggest an approach that you can follow to be more effective in your personal and professional life.
Benefits of Authenticity and Being a Social Chameleon
Authenticity refers to being true to one’s self. An authentic person behaves in accordance to his or her internally experienced feelings and self, no matter how incongruent self-expression or behavior may be with the requirements of social situations. In simple words, an authentic individual act in accordance to his or her deeply held beliefs and values, no matter what the demands of the social situations are. On the other hand, social chameleons or people high on self-monitoring behave in accordance to the demands of the situation. Such individuals observe, regulate and control their expressive behavior and self-presentation to suit to social or situational cues. These individuals are social pragmatists who are willing and adept in adjusting the public expression of their attitudes and behavior to fit the expectations of others.
Empirical research conducted in the fields of psychology, social psychology, and management has highlighted several benefits of authenticity and self-monitoring for individuals as well as for organizations. A growing body of research shows that authenticity enhances individuals’ life satisfaction, psychological well-being, leadership effectiveness, self-esteem, positive affect, job performance, and work engagement. Research has shown that being authentic makes life more meaningful and happier. Research has also shown that authenticity leads to self-actualization tendencies, vitality, and mindfulness. Moreover, emerging literature on the construct of authenticity indicates that authenticity improves psychological adjustment and reduces anxiety, stress and negative affect.
Research has also highlighted several benefits of being a social chameleon i.e., high on self-monitoring. It has been found that individuals high on self-monitoring perform at a higher level, get faster promotions, are highly likely to emerge as leaders, have better conflict management skills and have larger social network than individuals low on self-monitoring (i.e., high on authenticity). In addition, it has been found that high self-monitors have greater nonverbal decoding skills – the ability to recognize the emotional display of others – than low self-monitors, which contributes to their effectiveness in the workplace.
The Dark Side of Authenticity and Self-monitoring
Though authenticity and self-monitoring (social chameleon) have been found very useful for individuals as well as organizations, a high level of either of them may lead to undesirable outcomes. When people behave highly authentically without taking into consideration the social context in which they are operating, they may not be really effective in dealing with people and situations. A high level of authenticity can become a social liability in work teams. Researchers studying the concept of authenticity argue that too much true self-expression or high level of authenticity could lead to poor psychological health, poor team dynamics, and puts one at risk of social disapproval or rejection.
Scholars maintain that though authentic individuals may feel personally satisfied with themselves for acting authentically, they may preclude themselves from several social or employment gains. Highly authentic individuals tend to express what they really think and feel, even when it runs counter to situational demands. Such individuals develop a rigid self-concept about themselves and they are not willing and open to other persons’ views and ideas. It may make authentic people less sensitive to situational cues or other’s inputs, which may make them less flexible and adaptable.
A person high on self-monitoring (or a social chameleon) may face different problems. A social chameleon may not be seen very positively by others as such people keep on changing their attitudes and behaviors depending on the requirements of the situation. Such individuals can be seen less dependable and trustworthy. They are also less likely to be seen as effective leaders.
What is the Right Approach? The Way Forward
The divergent perspectives presented above indicate that there are some advantages as well as disadvantages of both being highly authentic and high on self-monitoring. Then the question is – what is the way forward? I think, to be effective, one should learn to navigate between authenticity and pragmatism. At times, it may be useful to be authentic but in certain situations you have to be pragmatic and act as per the demands of the situation or social context. Though developing clarity about it is not easy, but if you become more aware of yourself and the context in which you operate, you will be able to find the balance between authenticity and being a social chameleon. Below I suggest certain steps that can help you in finding that balance:
- First, develop clarity about yourself. Try to understand what kind of person you are. Try to deeply understand your thoughts, feelings, and behavioral patterns.
- Try to understand your beliefs and value system. Try to develop clarity on how you see yourself, how people see you, how you behave in different situations, and how you want to be seen by others.
- While interacting with others, try to become fully aware of the context or social situation in which you are operating.
- Also, develop a deeper understanding of people with whom you are interacting or dealing – are you dealing with your friends, family members, subordinates, colleagues, or superior.
- Develop practical wisdom by understanding the context in which you are operating. Before acting, please ensure whether the moment is right for following the principles (or virtues) or you need to act in a way that is different than what you believe in.
- Please remember that being authentic and working from the point of view of exhibiting true self-expression is desirable most of the times, however there will also be times when being inauthentic for a short time (in certain situations) will be necessary to achieve one’s well-being, growth and performance.
- In sum, though authenticity is highly desirable but it may not always yield the best outcomes for you. At times, it’s also important to be pragmatic and to act or modify your behavior by considering the social context in which you operate.
