I came across this HBR article about great leaders and authenticity by Rob Goffee and Garett Jones.

Being authentic is confusing. People view it as a license ….”well, this is who I am….and I can’t change.” They use authenticity as an excuse to hang on to bad behaviors.

The reality is that the best leaders are the ones who do change and are chameleons, but are still viewed as authentic. The way they do that is they adapt to the situation and audience. A quote from the article:

“But great leaders seem to know which personality traits they should reveal to whom and when. They are like chameleons, capable of adapting to the demands of the situations they face and the people they lead, yet they do not lose their identities in the process. ”

Think about how different you are when you meet a stranger versus seeing your best friend. You’re still you, but what you share, how you speak will be markedly different. And that’s appropriate. Don’t hang on to your bad behaviors as an excuse. It’s probably not appropriate in any situation…but at work, it can hurt more.