• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

512-693-7132

Packages   About   Testimonials

Career Pivot

Career Pivot

Repurpose your career. Pivot now.

  • Get Started
  • Books
    • Repurpose Your Career
    • Personal Branding for Baby Boomers
    • Repurpose Your Career 2019 Book Launch
  • Podcast
    • Career Pivot Interviews
    • Interviews with Career Experts
    • Repurpose Your Career Audio Book
    • Repurpose Your Career Series
    • Becoming an Expat
    • Question and Answer
    • Other Topics
  • Blog
    • Life and Careers in the 2nd Half of Life
    • Ageism
    • Career and Industry Disruption
    • Career Success in the 2nd Half of Life
    • Career Pivot
    • COVID-19 Pandemic
    • Job Search
    • Entrepreneurship in the 2nd Half of Life
    • Encore Careers
    • Social Media
    • Networking
  • Community
  • Resources
  • Expat
  • Contact

Get Career Pivot Insights

Are You Your Authentic Self or an Actor at Work? [Updated]

Authentic Self?authentic self

To quote Dr. Phil

Are you living a life that is more in tune with your “authentic” self (who you were created to be) or your “fictional” self (who the world has told you to be)?

Gee, I never thought I would write a post where I would quote Dr. Phil!

Are you who you appear to be? Let me explain.

Many of us who have worked for 20 or more years have changed our behaviors there to fit in, to be a more attractive employee, to get paid more, to be more valuable … We have morphed our behaviors to fit in.

I am a certified Birkman consultant.  The Birkman assessment will tell you in nine different behaviors both how you appear and how you want to be treated. We are usually treated the way we behave. When the way we behave is markedly different than the way we want to be treated, issues arise.

You Are an Actor

When we go to work we become actors, we play a role. We are supposed to behave in a certain way at work to fit in. We take on these roles and many times we become quite good at them. In fact, sometimes we start believing that we are the actor and forget who we really are.

You may want to check out my post What Persona(Role) Have You Performed in your Career?

So what happens when we take on a role that is counter to who we really are? I have done this throughout my career and I can tell you it usually results in burnout and exhaustion.

Let me give you some examples.

Repurpose Your Career Podcast

Listen to the most recent episode

Closet Introvert

My MBTI score is ENTJ. The E is for extrovert, or I behave like an extrovert. I can work a room at a networking event like a pro. I am an excellent presenter. The issue is, I am a closet introvert. When I finish a presentation or leave a networking event, I am exhausted. I am very good at behaving like an extrovert, but it exhausts me.

I have learned that, if I am going to teach a class all day, I need to spend the evening alone or with only a few close friends. I am not an extrovert. I really want to be left alone!

The interesting part of this story is I convinced myself I was an extrovert. When I went off to teach high school math I seduced myself that I could stand up in front of a classroom 30-35 hours a week and teach. I tell this story on the podcast episode From High-Tech Training to High School Teacher, and Why I Left. [Podcast].

Most people do not know that about me. I know I am not the only one who masks his authentic self in this way!

For More: 3 Signs You Are a Closet Introvert and What to Do!

Stealth Competitor

A stealth competitor is someone who appears to be all for the common good. They are very nice people. However, they feel if they do good work, it should be noticed and they should be rewarded.

The kicker is they never ask to be rewarded.

Unfortunately, this is very common in the western world. Many of us were trained by our parents and society that if we do good work, it will be noticed and we will get rewarded. We do not need to ask. 

This is very common with women in the professional world. Remember back to 2014 when CEO of Microsoft, Satya Nadella, spoke at a Women’s Conference and said:

“It’s not really about asking for a raise, but knowing and having faith that the system will give you the right raise,” 

He also said that not asking for a pay raise created good karma.

Ain’t that a bunch of horse manure?

Stealth competitors rarely feel they are valued at work. Why might you ask? No one knows how to reward them or what makes them feel valued.

Sound familiar? Stealth competitors are very common in certain work environments!

By the way, there is a very good book written on this topic – Know Your Value by Mia Brzezinski.

For More: Stealth Competitor? Wonder Why You Do Not Get Rewarded?

Structured Anarchist

I have had quite a few clients who are structured anarchists. They appear to be very orderly. They function well in a rules-oriented environment. You can spot them because when they dress, every piece of clothing is in place. If they have hair, every follicle is in its proper place. When they speak they are very precise in the language they use. They appear extremely orderly and love rules.

The issue is they have to create all of the rules!

These individuals want to create the rules or at least be able to change the rules. They are great at creating order out of chaos. If they enter a new environment they need the freedom to change the rules to their suit!

Problems arise when they have fixed all of the problems and now the boss wants them to run things or as I like to say, “start turning the crank.” They get very bored and after a year moves on.

These individuals commonly have been placed in environments where things are predictable when what they really want is a problem to fix. The problem is no one knows that. I have worked with several of these individuals to ask for problems to solve.

Sound familiar? There are a lot of you out there!

For More: Can Can Tim Repurpose His Career? Part 2 of 4 [Podcast] (Tim is a structured anarchist)

What Role are You Playing

In each of these cases, the way people behave does not show their authentic self. They are playing a role.

They often are not perceived for who they are but for how they behave. Therefore, are not treated the way they want to be treated.

I can honestly say that in my 22 years at IBM I became an actor. I became someone who I was not. I was a REALLY good actor and I was very well compensated. On the other hand, it was very unhealthy for me in the long term to play these roles.

What role are you playing? Do you even know you are an actor?

Marc Miller  

Like What Your Read? Get Career Pivot Insights

Do You Need Help With ...

Check out our Help Center where you have access to 14 different content portals.

Category iconLife and Careers in the 2nd Half of Life

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Sehin Belew says

    September 8, 2014 at 3:06 pm

    This is a great article. I can’t agree with you more. Until we are in tune with our authentic self, we will never be fully content. We are all created differently and there is no one like us. We should embrace our authentic self and be the best we can be. Only then can we excel at what we do.

    • September 8, 2014 at 3:13 pm

      Sehin,
      Thank you for the kind words. The issue is do we even know our authentic self!

  2. Felipe says

    November 20, 2017 at 12:21 am

    Yeah this is not a turkey post but about being genuine, authentic self in your chosen career. Training and teaching allowed my inner actor to present itself so I enjoyed that aspect and I was helping people made some money. Another gem of a post by Marc Miller.

  3. Edward G Gallegos says

    November 20, 2017 at 7:08 am

    Funny how your post Marc, coincides with yesterday’s gospel reading. My interpretation was that we have all been given a “talent”. Since birth we were all endowed with a special gift or gifts. Once we did cover what those are we come close to discovering who our “authentic self” is. Great post!

    • November 25, 2017 at 9:45 am

      Edward,

      Thank you for comment. Yes, we all have innate talent but we tend to cover those up if society will not pay for use to exercise those talents.

      Marc

Primary Sidebar

Are you ready to take control of your career?
Are you ready to stop reacting and start planning what is next?

 

Join Career Pivot

For those who want to fall in love with their work again, redeploy their experience and skills into a new career, and prudently make a shift, Marc Miller’s strategic guidance is a pathway to success.

Kerry Hannon, author of Never Too Old To Get Rich: The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Starting a Business Mid-Life

Available on Amazon.com and other fine retailers

Blog Categories

  • Age Discrimination (19)
  • Becoming an Expat (39)
  • Career and Industry Disruption (36)
  • Career Pivot (92)
  • Career Success in the 2nd Half of Life (108)
  • COVID-19 Pandemic (32)
  • Encore Careers (20)
  • Entrepreneurship in the 2nd Half of Life (18)
  • Job Search (109)
  • Life and Careers in the 2nd Half of Life (63)
  • Networking (32)
  • Podcasts (314)
    • Podcast – Becoming an Expat (28)
    • Podcast – Career Pivoter (60)
    • Podcast – Expert (161)
    • Podcast – Other (20)
    • Podcast – Question and Answer (18)
    • Podcast – Repurpose Your Career Book (18)
    • Podcast – Repurpose Your Career Series (16)
  • Retirement (14)
  • Social Media (15)
  • Survey Results (17)
  • The Multi-Generational Workplace (20)

Popular Posts

  • What If You Are Not Passionate About Anything? [Updated] (369,422)
  • College Degree After 50 – Is It Worth It? It… (133,621)
  • Talents versus Skills – Do you know the difference? (127,549)
  • Are you a Multipotentialite? (65,639)
  • What is Your Current Salary? How to Answer! [Updated] (64,114)
  • Perfect Fit for the Position? Expect to Lose! [Updated] (47,003)
  • Who is Really Making the Hiring Decision? [Updated] (43,784)
  • How Long Will My Job Search Take? Longer Than You… (40,990)
  • Dealing with that Directionless Feeling [Updated] (30,083)
  • 3 Steps to Get the Hiring Manager or Recruiter to Respond (27,764)
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • RSS
  • Twitter

© Marc Miller and Associates, LLC 2012-2019 ~ All Rights Reserved | A Standard Beagle Website | Read Our Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions