Pulling Back the Curtain on Authenticity

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“Dance like nobody’s watching.” That old adage may be the perfect description of authenticity. 

Are any of us entirely authentic – able to be the same person in front of others that you are behind closed doors?

I’m sorry to admit, I’m probably not. I’d prefer not to let the world in on parts of me that may work against the image I’ve worked to create over the years – the fact that I belch loudly in the car when I finish a swig of diet Coke; the way I spit-bathe my kids when they have something on their faces, or the high pitch my voice takes when one of my kids disobeys.  

Would I do these things if I knew someone was observing? 

My value system places these things in the undesirable category. But, the communication professional in me knows that I would disarm others and impart trust by emerging from behind a wall of societal expectations that don’t suit me. 

I am a big fan of the Discovery Channel’s Deadliest Catch and was a particularly avid follower of the late Captain Phil Harris. Captain Phil embodied true authenticity. The 24/7 cameras caught him at his best and his worst, and he was impossible not to love. The captain of the Cornelia Marie had the same struggles we all face: he wanted to succeed at his job, to give the best fatherly advice, to help his children through their trials. He questioned his decisions, he cursed way too much and he smoked like a sailor – oh, I guess that’s appropriate in this case. Phil Harris never tried to be something he wasn’t. When the cameras were rolling and when they weren’t, he was genuine. His authenticity was a big part of why this Emmy-nominated series is now airing in 150 countries around the world. 

This same true-to-self publicity is what has made Rick Harrison of Pawn Stars a household name. It has changed public perceptions of previously taboo subjects, ala Magic Johnson. And, it has accelerated the mainstream adoption of an entire sport (think Lance Armstrong and bicycling).    

Authenticity is powerful, but most importantly, it’s real. Authenticity removes barriers to someone knowing – and liking – the real you. It’s the way your friends and family know you, and somehow still manage to love you anyway. I just heard former NBA basketball player Walter Bond say the key to selling is that people know you, like you and trust you. I contend that may also be the key to authenticity. 

I recently heard talk show host Bill O’Reilly say, “Authenticity can’t be replicated,” and I think he’s spot on. 

I can’t be Phil Harris – not that I want to catch opilio crab in the ice cold Bering Sea – and I can’t be an expert pawn broker like Rick Harrison. But, I can be a real diet Coke-belching, kid wrangling, eclectic farm wife who would rather wear her stilettos to a downtown loft office to talk about farming than wear my boots to the barn (most days, anyway). 

When I can let the world in on all my imperfections and feel completely confident in them, then I will have attained authenticity. Until then, maybe I’ll let y’all in on them a little at a time.

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