Authenticity VS Honesty

Spring is in full swing with conferences and meetings of every kind. As I travel around the country graphic recording, I hear certain buzzwords repeated, often as core values or as part of a vision statement.

Authenticity is one such word. I love keynote speaker and author Mike Robbins' take on its meaning and I hope it inspires you too!

Mike Robbins' Authenticity Equation is this:

Honesty - Self-Righteousness + Vulnerability

Sounds simple, right? But people often confuse honesty with authenticity. Many times they believe that by being (sometimes brutally) honest they're being authentic. The trouble is, that type honesty has a component of self-righteousness, meaning I’m right and you’re wrong. And let's face it, that attitude never strengthens a relationship.

To truly be authentic, we must eliminate self-righteousness and replace it with vulnerability.

To distill it down, being vulnerable means being willing to take an emotional risk and expose our uncertainty. In this humility lies true authenticity. And that will lead to better connections, deeper relationships and ultimately, a fuller life.

If you'd like to learn more about vulnerability, Brene Brown's TedTalk "The Power of Vulnerability" is 20 minutes well spent.

I was lucky enough to graphic record Mike Robbins' keynote live, but you can watch his TedTalk "The Power of Authenticity" online.