The Power of Authenticity: Creating Connection, Credibility and Confidence at Work

1 August 2025: Jo Crabtree Founder and Lead Partner @ ClearPath Workplace Solutions

In our blog “Building Trust: The Heart of a Thriving Workplace”, we introduced a framework that breaks trust down into three core elements: Authenticity, Empathy, and Logic. This blog is the second in ClearPath’s Trust Triangle series.

Each element plays an equal critical role in building a workplace culture where people feel safe, heard, and confident in their leaders. In this piece, we explore authenticity — the foundation of credibility and alignment in leadership.

There’s a lot of focus on authentic leadership — but what does it actually mean? And how do you know if you’re being truly authentic in the way you lead, and engage with your people?

Authenticity isn’t just about being “open” or “real” — it’s about alignment. It’s about acting in a way that reflects your values, showing consistency between your words and actions, and creating a culture where employees feel confident in their leadership.

At ClearPath, we support leaders and HR teams navigating change, leading negotiations and resolving people issues. And time and time again, we see that the most trusted leaders aren’t the ones with all the answers — they’re the ones who show up with courage, clarity and a commitment to doing what’s right.

🔍 Why Authenticity Builds Trust

Authenticity is one of the three pillars of the Trust Triangle, alongside Empathy and Logic — a model we introduced in our foundational blog Building Trust: The Heart of a Thriving Workplace. Without authenticity, trust feels scripted or insincere.

Authenticity builds trust by:

• Aligning words and actions — people know what to expect

• Reinforcing consistency and credibility

• Enabling real, human leadership — not role-play or perfection

When authenticity is present, employees feel safe to speak up, contribute ideas, and bring their full selves to work. When it’s missing, even well-intended leadership can come across as calculated or performative.

💡 Signs of Inauthenticity (And Their Impact)

Inauthentic leadership and organisational behaviour often look like:

• Saying the right things, but not backing them with action

• Avoiding difficult conversations or glossing over tensions

• Over-polishing communications to appear “perfect”

• Changing tone or messaging depending on the audience

And people notice. When leaders behave in ways that don’t match their words, trust begins to erode — quickly. Employees are highly attuned to whether a leader is genuine or simply “saying the right thing.”

For example, if a leader issues communications saying they value employee safety but continually fails to act on the safety concerns raised by employees or delays action until after an incident, the disconnect is obvious. It sends the message that safety is a PR priority, not a real one. This inconsistency breaks trust, damages credibility, and reduces employee confidence in leadership. It’s also a failure in duty of care.

✅ Authentic Leaders Do These Three Things Well

1. Speak with integrity: They say what they mean, and follow through with what they say. This doesn’t mean oversharing — it means being honest and respectful, even when the message is tough.

2. Stay aligned with their values: They make decisions that reflect their personal and organisational values — not just what’s easiest or most popular.

3. Own their impact: When things go wrong, they don’t deflect. They acknowledge, learn, and repair. This vulnerability builds deep trust and earns lasting respect.

   
   

🤝 Authenticity in Action: The Role of Consultation and Negotiation

Whether it’s a workplace consultation process or an enterprise agreement negotiation, authenticity is a game-changer. It turns performative consultation into genuine engagement.

Being authentic in this context means:

• Genuinely considering employee input and claims (not just ticking a box)

• Acknowledging input and claims and explaining responses and reasoning clearly

• Being honest about limits, constraints and opportunities

• Letting values guide decisions — not just optics or expedience

👣 A Personal Reflection

One of the most memorable experiences I’ve had with authenticity involved a leader I once worked with. He was incredibly kind, smart and logical, highly strategic, and always efficient, but he kept very private and never discussed his full self with the team or colleagues. At times, this caused him to come across as guarded, and that made it hard for him to connect on a personal level with his team.

One day, he chose to openly share with his team his sexual orientation – and that he was in a long-term loving relationship. In that moment, everything changed. By showing up as his complete, authentic self, he created an environment where his logic, empathy, and authenticity could all truly thrive together. He became one of the most inspirational leaders I’ve known. He also created the psychological safety for others to be their full authentic self at work.

It was a clear reminder that authenticity isn’t just about being open — it’s about being true to yourself and letting others see that truth. That’s where real trust is built.

🛍 Want to Build Authenticity in Your Workplace? Start Here.

• Reflect on where your behaviours align (or don’t) with your values

• Encourage leaders to own both strengths and missteps

• Create channels for real feedback — and act on what you hear

• Prioritise consistency across words, actions and decisions

• Build skills in courageous, real, open and transparent communication and storytelling

At ClearPath, we help leaders and organisations build cultures of trust by anchoring their people practices in authenticity, empathy and clear logic.

Because when you lead with authenticity, you don’t just build better teams — you create a workplace where people can truly thrive.

📂 Further Reading

To explore the broader model behind this blog series, visit our introductory piece: Building Trust: The Heart of a Thriving Workplace

This series is inspired in part by the work of Harvard professor Frances Frei, who introduced the concept of the Trust Triangle: Empathy, Authenticity and Logic. Her TED Talk and leadership work offer valuable insights into what builds or breaks trust in leadership.