By Brigette Hyacinth.
Authenticity is one of the most essential and admired leadership traits, however in today’s world it seems to be lacking.
What you see is not often what you get.
The mask became a symbol in the 17th century.
It was the key accessory at masquerade balls because it allowed people to be whoever they wanted to be for one night.
It embodied delusion and deceit.
Today, it seems to have made a comeback in the 21st century at the Leadership Ball.
There are three main ways in which leaders wear masks: To hide their true identity, to conceal insecurities and to take on a new persona that they feel is necessary for success.
However, wearing masks undermines trust and effectiveness.
Here are seven masks some leaders wear.
Orator (The Two Face mask):
They can sound so persuasive, so caring and so sincere, but behind the dazzling mask lies their real intentions of deception.
Erroneous communications are a big cause of lack of perceived trustworthiness in bosses. Their actions always expose them.
Advocate (The Three Musketeers mask):
They claim to be one for all and all for one when they are all for me, myself and I.
They outwardly proclaim they are people focused and their priority is with the team but behind closed doors they are self-seeking.
They will do anything to make themselves look good or maintain their status quo even at the expense of the team.
Philanthropist (The Robin Hood mask):
They give with the right hand but secretly take back with the left hand.
These types of leaders give openly so others can think highly of them.
If there was no fanfare they would not support charitable initiatives.
Obdurate (The Iron Man mask):
They scarcely show their true feelings or human side.
They think they need to have this public tough image.
Adopting this persona alienates and pushes people away.
By exposing their vulnerability and dropping this mask, leaders inspire their followers to do the same, ending in a more aligned relationship between the leader and their followers.
Meek (The Mister Fantastic mask):
They appear so humble and act down to earth when in fact they are full of conceit.
Their true colours are revealed in unguarded moments.
I remember once working late and overhearing a manager speaking with a supervisor.
As I sat there I couldn’t believe that this is the person I thought I knew.
My whole perception of him changed from that day.
Proficient (The Phantom of the Opera mask):
Some leaders conceal perceived imperfections in favour of a polished image.
The demands or expectations that society creates leave them feeling mediocre and inadequate.
They are uncomfortable in their own skin so they try to measure up and may even employ unethical methods to fit in.
Conformist (The Shape-Shifter mask):
Top management puts pressure on these types of managers to change their principles.
Their style may not fit in with the changing culture.
In these types of situations they either decide to adapt or leave if it creates inner conflict.
If you have low emotional intelligence, wearing a mask may be necessary to cover negative moods such as rage and anger or disappointments and downheartedness and so on.
In the era of social media where leaders’ personal and professional lives are often transparently intertwined, the mask eventually becomes apparent.
The effort of maintaining one eventually become too great to bear.
We may cheat others but most importantly we are only fooling ourselves.
If you are wearing a mask, transform yourself by dropping the facade and removing it.
The important thing is to analyse where you have fallen short and then make the necessary changes to take your leadership identity to meaningful heights.
Walking in authenticity and genuineness brings freedom.
*Brigette Hyacinth founded the MBA Caribbean Organisation in 2008. It conducts seminars and workshops in leadership, management and education as well as providing motivational speeches.
She can be contacted at www.mbacaribbean.org.
