Can you be professional AND authentic & heart-centered?
For years, the subject of authenticity has fascinated me.
There are probably a few reasons for that.
For one thing, I grew up feeling like I was often in disguise. Growing up with a secret will do that to you.
The secret, of course, is that I always felt like something was wrong with me.
Up until somewhere in my mid-late twenties I spoke very rarely about my heart condition or pacemaker. But if I’m honest, that wasn’t the only thing I kept hidden.
For much of my life, I was something an emotional chameleon—adept and astute at understanding what other people might need or expect from me. My true thoughts and feelings were layered beneath my chameleon coat, sometimes so deep that I didn’t even know they were there.
I’ve worked hard to shed this skin, so that I may show up more honestly and authentically in any given moment.
“Authenticity is not about sounding or looking like yourself. It’s about letting the audience see who you are, no matter what disguise you’re wearing.””
This has translated into my work’s purpose. I believe that one reason I am so committed to helping others express themselves both effectively and authentically is that—despite all my creativity—I felt unexpressed and inhibited for many years of my life. And I know how much better things are on the other side.
Perhaps another reason authenticity fascinates me is that it’s an eternally elusive idea.
People are layered, complex. Can we ever really know ourselves fully, let alone condense that truth into tidy, neat words?
What does authentic storytelling (or for that matter, authentic working, or authentic living) actually look like?
And, what does it mean in a professional context? Are you still being authentic if you are reading from a script? Or presenting to a board of directors, or a team of staff members?
Are you still being authentic if you appear professional at the podium but nearly have a panic attack before-hand? If you “make it look easy” but actually re-wrote your speech dozens of times before delivering it? Or if you come off super confident but are secretly crapping-your-pants scared every time you take the stage?
Are you still being authentic if you hire a ghostwriter—or a creative collaborator like myself—to help you express yourself?
So many questions, and while I have ideas on the subject (indeed, I’ve written about it before, like in this blog on finding your authentic voice), I definitely do not have all the answers.
I do, however, have a strong belief that authentic, human, and heart-centered communications matter.
In fact, I’m convinced they matter even more than ever.
We might never be truly, 100%, fully “authentic”, but we can approach our communications with the intention of being authentic, human, and heart-centered.
We can check in with ourselves to see if what we are expressing is in alignment with that we truly feel and believe.
And, if we feel that our professional actions or personal brands are somehow mis-aligned with what we really want to be doing or saying, we can re-adjust at any point.
That’s why I was so excited to chat with this thoughtful, heart-centered storyteller on my podcast: Drima, aka Amir Ahmed Nasr.
Drima is the founder and head coach at Assertive & Co., where he facilitates a values-based method for awakening creators, coaches and experts to their true voice, so they can grow and lead with more purpose, freedom and fulfillment.
Under his given name (Amir Ahmad Nasr), Drima’s writing has been featured and reviewed in over 13 languages including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, The Economist, The Guardian, WIRED, and dozens more telling stories about faith, spirituality, human rights, and human flourishing.
Drima brings a human, heart-centered perspective to all of his work and storytelling. In this interview, I ask him to share his thoughts on concepts like authenticity, conviction, vulnerability, and heart-centeredness. We explore what these words mean in practice, and how to tell stories that deliver not only better results, but also greater satisfaction, meaning, and fulfillment.
This episode isn’t about tactics. It’s not about shortcuts. It is, however, a deep dive into words like “authenticity”, “heart-centered”, “conviction,” and “alignment”.
Drima explores how successful leaders can and should disrupt the status quo by leaning deeper into authenticity, questioning whether their professional efforts are in alignment with who they are, evolving their personal brands as they grow, and pursuing self-actualization and spiritual fulfillment even if (maybe especially if) they are also happily chasing the big bucks.
Check it out at all the usual spots: my website, Spotify, Apple, Google, Amazon, and anywhere else you listen to podcasts.