THE NON-OBVIOUS SHOW · EPISODE 72

Don't Be Yourself: Why Authenticity Is Overrated

with Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic

Episode 72 · April 7, 2026 · 32 min

In this episode, Tomas challenges conventional wisdom around authenticity, self-belief, and leadership, offering nuanced perspectives on what it really means to be genuine and effective in personal and professional contexts. He dives deep into the myths that guide much of our self-improvement advice and explains how understanding the social psychology behind these beliefs can lead to better outcomes.

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Episode Summary

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Key Takeaways

01The fallacy of "be yourself" as advice for success and its psychological implications
02The distinction between authentic behavior as perceived by ourselves vs. others
03The strategic use of impression management in professional settings
04Why honesty and authenticity are often weaponized in today's social climate
05The influence of societal norms and generational shifts on perceptions of authenticity
06How leaders can navigate the balance between authenticity and strategic impression
07The role of self-deception, biases, and social context in shaping how we view ourselves and others
08The nuance of radical transparency and faux authenticity, and their long-term impacts
09The importance of social perception in authenticity - what others think matters more than what we think

What We Cover

00:41Challenging the cliché "Just be yourself"
01:05The importance of strategic impression management
03:07Self-editing as a crucial leadership skill
04:00The role of context and environment in personality development
05:10Why "be yourself" might be bad advice
06:35The risks of unfiltered behavior and importance of trustworthiness
08:19Generational differences in expectations of authenticity at work
09:48The dangers of total identification with work and cult-like behavior
12:35The traps of common beliefs like always being honest and true to one's values
15:11The social psychology of self-deception and fake politeness
19:09Authenticity as a social privilege and the influence of power
24:31Common misconceptions and reactions to challenging the authenticity narrative
28:24The continued relevance of understanding incompetence in leadership
29:45Insecurity, narcissism, and false confidence in leaders
31:04The importance of curiosity, evidence-based thinking, and mental agility

About The Guest

Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic

Business psychologist; CIO at ManpowerGroup

Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic is chief innovation officer at ManpowerGroup and a professor of business psychology at University College London, with an adjunct post at Columbia University. He wrote Why Do So Many Incompetent Men Become Leaders? and Don't Be Yourself, and studies personality, talent and leadership.

drtomas.com ↗