Al Gore, Being Authentic and the Oscars

Paul Copcutt has an interesting post today over on Career Hub, where he talks about Al Gore's transformation from wooden political candidate to inspiring advocate.

I don't want this post to be political, but I do find Al Gore a shining example of what happens when we stop acting in an authentic way. It's easy to understand why people do this when they run for President. The long election cycles, constant media scrutiny and "attack ad" mentality mean that candidates have to be careful of every word they say.

I think the most successful politicians are the ones who find a way to shape themselves for public consumption while still retaining some connection to who they are at their core. Ronald Reagan was know for his communication skills. Bill Clinton for his ability to connect with ordinary people. And our current President is widely seen as someone who sticks to his guns no matter what anybody else says.

These are core "brand" values that resonate with people, for good or for ill. We may like or dislike what we see, but we all basically see the same thing.

Somehow Al Gore lost that when he ran for office. Perhaps he wasn't skilled enough at politicking. Perhaps he's too honest to do it convincingly. But Paul's right - as a candidate, he never made the connection with ordinary people that he is making now. I think that's because he is now working on an issue that matters to him, and he is being his own authentic self.

So many of us try to squeeze ourselves into the box we find ourselves in. I did it for years when I worked in HR. I am an introvert and I love to write and analyze. I am happiest when I'm working on a challenging project on my own. Of course, that's the opposite of what HR is. My role as an HR exec was to coach and counsel and train and hire - basically to be with people every minute of every day.

I did well. I was successful. But every day I was tired and felt a little bit more defeated than the day before. And when I finally sought career guidance from the wonderful Rockport Institute, I found out why I felt that way. My work now allows me to spend much more time doing the kind of work I really enjoy, and I don't have to pretend to care about things that are not important to me. It's liberating!

I encourage anyone who feels like me (or Al Gore) to work with a coach and explore what you really want to do. Being authentically who you are is good for the soul, but as Al Gore is proving, it also makes you a thousand times more effective.

Comments

[Galen Tinder]

The political examples remind us that what we often see as a "brand" is little more than an image crafted by clever marketers. And even that image is in the eye of the beholder. Ronald Reagan could deliver speeches, but was inept when it came to real communication. Many people regarded Clinton's "common touch" as insincere. As for our current President, sticking to his guns is really an inability to acknowledge facts and realities contrary to those he has manufactured in his mind withe little or no supporting evidence.

I saw a newspaper reference the other day to a state politician who is determined to change his "image." When was the last time we heard a politician speak about changing himself. God forbid, that would acknowlege a present imperfection. Whether you call it branding or an image, it may have little or no connection with reality.

[Louise Fletcher]

Galen, to some extent I agree with you, but I think you make my point with your comment about President Bush. Regardless of how you or I may feel about him, and regardless of how we describe this characteristic of refusing to change course, we recognize it as a characteristic that is a part of his personality. According to the latest polls most don't like it. Some love it. Some call it "strong", some call it 'stubborn' but everyone sees it.

I think that politicians' image-makers fail them when they try to mold the candidate into something that he or she is not. Because people see through that very quickly, even if they can't put into words what they don't like. So the candidate fails.

Lots of people feel Clinton was insincere, but his approval ratings when he left office (and still to this day) show that he genuinely did make an emotional connection with a lot of people.

Ronald Reagan COULD deliver speeches - we all agree - and he is therefore recognized for that.

And I think the same applies in the world of work. Trying to be what you're not will never work in the long-term although it might work for a short time.