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Apr 2020
38m 14s

WorkLife with Adam Grant: Authenticity I...

TED
About this episode

"Just be yourself." That's popular work advice these days, with more and more companies encouraging people to “be authentic” and bring their whole selves to work. But when we get real at the wrong time or in the wrong way, it can backfire. What does effective authenticity look like, and how can we learn to strike the right balance?

For the full text transcript, visit https://www.ted.com/podcasts/worklife-transcripts


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