The liar.
The self-help and popular coaching literature are inundated with suggestions such as “just be your-
self ”, “don’t worry about what people think of you”, and “if you think you are great, you are”. Although such feel- good advice is obviously comforting (wouldn’t it be nice if others just celebrated the most spontaneous, unfiltered, and impulsive version of ourselves, and we had no pressure whatsoever to “behave”, even in critical work situations?) it is in stark contrast with the rather more sobering and tedious reality, namely that “faking it” is a critical ingredient of leadership talent. In fact, if you are
unable (or unwilling) to adjust your behavior to meet social expectations, adhere to the dominant etiquette, take into account other people’s perspectives, and make an effort to manage impressions to present yourself in a desirable rather than unrepressed, uninhibited, or un- censored way, then you won’t just fail to be an effective leader, but also fail to be a leader in the first place.