Why Authenticity Is Overrated - and What Great Leaders Do Instead

from Digital HR Leaders with David Green

“Be yourself.” “Bring your whole self to work.” It sounds empowering -  but what if it’s actually bad advice? That’s exactly what our host David Green explores in this episode of the Digital HR Leaders podcast, with returning guest Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic - Professor of Business Psychology at UCL and Columbia, and author of Don’t Be Yourself: Why Authenticity is Overrated (and What to Do Instead). Together, they challenge popular leadership tropes and explore why being real doesn’t always lead to being effective - especially in today’s fast-changing, AI-driven world. So, join them as they explore:  Why authenticity is misunderstood, and when it becomes a liability The leadership traits that actually build trust and influence How AI is transforming the employee experience The risks of eliminating early-career jobs in pursuit of productivity What inclusion really requires beyond buzzwords and optics The three ingredients every AI strategy needs to succeed This episode is sponsored by Valence. Imagine if every employee had a world-class coach in their pocket. That’s exactly what Valence has created with Nadia - the AI-powered coach helping Fortune 500 companies scale development, boost performance, and support leaders at every level. Learn more at valence.co/insight222  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What this episode covers

“Be yourself.” “Bring your whole self to work.” It sounds empowering - but what if it’s actually bad advice? That’s exactly what our host David Green explores in this episode of the Digital HR Leaders podcast, with returning guest Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic - Professor of Business Psychology at UCL and Columbia, and author of Don’t Be Yourself: Why Authenticity is Overrated (and What to Do Instead). Together, they challenge popular leadership tropes and explore why being real doesn’t always lead to being effective - especially in today’s fast-changing, AI-driven world. So, join them as they explore: Why authenticity is misunderstood, and when it becomes a liability The leadership traits that actually build trust and influence How AI is transforming the employee experience The risks of eliminating early-career jobs in pursuit of productivity What inclusion really requires beyond buzzwords and optics The three ingredients every AI strategy needs to succeed This episode is sponsored by Valence. Imagine if every employee had a world-class coach in their pocket. That’s exactly what Valence has created with Nadia - the AI-powered coach helping Fortune 500 companies scale development, boost performance, and support leaders at every level. Learn more at valence.co/insight222 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Why Authenticity Is Overrated - and What Great Leaders Do Instead

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This episode is 58 minutes long.

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This episode was published on November 18, 2025.

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