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BINGHAMTON, N.Y. -- Expressing your authentic self could help boost workplace performance, so long as your values align with those of your company and your coworkers, according to a new research paper co-authored by faculty at Binghamton University, State University of New York.

If you skim through almost any self-help book, someplace in those pages, you’ll likely find advice to “embrace your authentic self.”

Sounds simple, right? However, one person’s idea of being “authentic” can easily differ from another’s, especially in the workplace. Whether you’re leading an organization or waiting tables at a restaurant, getting the chance to show your true colors from time to time can prove valuable.

That’s the theme behind  co-authored by , an assistant professor of organizational behavior and leadership at the Binghamton University School of Management. Building upon previous research, Acton and fellow team members offer a pathway for those in leadership roles to seek out more opportunities for personal expression, both for themselves and among others in their employ, with the goal of improving workplace performance.

“If you try to suppress your real self, it’s going to backfire, but there’s also a tightrope to walk where you have to be mindful of how the values you’re expressing are in alignment with your individual relationships and the collective unit that you’re leading,” Acton said. “The reason you want to be strategic about this is that while it’s important to create an environment where people feel comfortable being themselves, leaders need to also avoid situations where being your true self causes those under you to feel like they can’t be themselves.” 

While Acton and fellow researchers weren’t the first to explore authentic leadership and its complexities, their unique approach outlined a theory for implementing it in everyday workplace situations — from coworkers venting frustrations to granting employees some flexibility in expressing their personal style in workplace attire.

Those in leadership roles shouldn’t be afraid to weave aspects of their own personalities into their jobs, according to this research. Doing so can encourage those working under you to do the same, Acton said, and it’s a more sustainable strategy than suppressing your “true self” that also reduces the risk of letting workplace pressures get the better of you.

This theory of authenticity can apply to a range of workplace environments. Using the example of working in a restaurant, Acton said it’s the job of someone waiting tables to provide friendly service even if they feel the customers are being rude. But not being able to express or show your “true colors” in a job like that can feel incredibly draining; ironically, it can actually lead to people being more likely to express the aspects of themselves they wish to suppress, he said.

For that reason, Acton said it’s even more important for people in those jobs to find constructive methods of expressing their feelings with co-workers or friends before that “hidden self” can come out in ways they don’t want.

“Authenticity sounds great on paper, but it’s a lot more complex than people realize,” Acton said. “If I’m leading a group and I don’t align with their value system, they’re not going to want to follow me. So, it’s about this intricate dance of being authentic to my own values, being in alignment with the values of the people following me and then being in alignment with the company’s values.”

The paper, “Rethinking authentic leadership: An alternative approach based on dynamic processes of active identity, self-regulation, and ironic processes of mental control,” was published in the Journal of Management & Organization.