re: Deadspin: Manti Te'o Dead Girlfriend Story a Hoax (now with drug dealers!)

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Before every game, for example, his girlfriend would write a note from her hospital bed urging him to always be “humble.” And if the tone of his interview is any indication, then this remarkable young man has taken her lessons to heart.

I am currently putting the finishing touches on a book, and I was so impressed by Te’o’s interview that I forwarded it to my editor. She commented in turn that Te’o came across as “so authentic” which I believe is the highest praise that one human being can give to another.

Authenticity is the latest business buzzword. We speak glibly and at length about the power of authentic businesses, leaders, brands, and products. But if authenticity itself is not a scarce resource, authentic business people most definitely are. Authenticity is not a skill that we can manipulate for our own selfish ends. It is not something that we can switch on and off whenever it suits us. Authentic businesses, leaders, brands and products can only be created by authentic individuals. If you want to enjoy the business and professional benefits that only authenticity can bestow, you must start by taking that proverbial long, hard look at the person staring back at you in the mirror. Authentic people are honest with others, and honesty with others starts with being ruthlessly honest with ourselves.

The second step is surrounding yourself with authentic friends, colleagues, mentors and co-workers. If you make a habit of hanging out either professionally or personally with superficial phonies, then don’t be surprised if you end up becoming one yourself. Alcoholics Anonymous insists that staying sober requires changing the “people, places, and things” that lead to drinking and the same is true of getting off the bottle of superficiality.

The third step is inviting these authentic people to “speak truth to power;” where power is defined as your own unrepentant ego and petty vanities. Back in the mid-eighties I took this advice to heart. I asked my young and somewhat reticent assistant for some “honest feedback.” She smiled sweetly and said, “Oh Augie, you are just so full of yourself!” Suffice to say that this was not the “feedback” I was expecting, but I’ve been working on it ever since. Inviting criticism and acting on it is often a painful process, but it is also the quickest and surest route toward authenticity.

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