The Role of Authenticity In Developing Credibility

What is Authenticity?

Authentic (adjective) is defined by the Oxford Language as: "of undisputed origin; genuine" and authenticity is defined as "the quality of being authentic".

As I develop content for growing this project, Doctor's Handwriting, I feel a moral responsibility to discuss how I am going about presenting myself as authentic as possible. In a world of constant noise and social media where each person is trying to influence your decisions, I feel a juxtaposition in using social media as a way to represent my message, and, more importantly, how I present myself digitally.

On one hand, social media is a way to get eyes on your message and is a pivotal way to reach hundreds, thousands, and even millions of people in a matter of minutes. It is easy to see the potential value of such pursuits. On the other hand, social media only represents the version of you that you choose to show. Social media is predominately used to show the highlights of life as opposed to the daily struggles or monotony of life. And there are individuals much further ahead in life contemplating this same subject and attempting to present a uniquely authentic message. However, they still acknowledge that most of the work and life goes unseen or unnoticed. So then, if most of life goes unnoticed, does authenticity matter? And if so, what does being authentic look like? What is being true to my origin or being genuine towards the message I want to present?

I may not know the answer, however, I believe it can be represented in three categories:

1. Humility: The consistent focus on serving others through your actions and setting yourself aside for the pursuit of truth (with effective & appropriate boundaries).
2. Consistency: I have expressed it before, and I will say it again; consistency is the cornerstone of credibility and integrity. Continuing to do the "right thing" (which I will avoid diving into this subject further for the sake of not opening a deeper discussion on what "right" is) even when it is inconvenient. Alex Hormozi is a big proponent of a concept that can be summarized as follows: "There is no secret to success. It is repeating the basics every day over a long period of time".
3. Compassion: I believe true compassion to be expressed in an extended cliché: "Put yourself in my shoes. Walk a mile in my boots. If you had the exact same tools, with the exact same upbringing, and made the exact same decisions I did, what would you do in the present?". Only until you have that level of information from someone can you then begin to understand them. But that's almost impossible to share because everything is shown and shared through their own perception of how that occurred. So can we actually learn everything about another individual? I do not believe so, and as a result, we choose to employ compassion instead of judgment as we will never fully understand someone. I do not believe we need to completely understand someone to show someone kindness and recognize that we all make mistakes. A little consideration could make all the difference.

Another interpretation of these three categories (shared by David Hakim, a great mentor and the Director of the Midwest Academy in Naperville, Illinois) could be taken from Travis Haley / Haley Strategic Partners (HSP):

1. "Compassion: Because the more you care about something the harder you will fight for it;
2. Vulnerability: Because the courage to be imperfect focuses on self in order to become the best for the people you serve;
3. Transparent: Because it communicates what you stand for, who you stand with, and what you stand against;

No one cares how much you know until they know how much you care."

With these representations of the three categories, I feel that to be authentic, I must be diligent and intentional with how I present my thoughts. Carefully articulate and consider each aspect of my thoughts to, as accurately as possible, communicate what I am thinking. Only then, can I start to be considerate of others, patient with others, critical of myself, as well as patient with myself. 

So to be authentic in this project? My focus is to consistently share what I am contemplating in a clear, humble, vulnerable, and transparent structure to formulate my thoughts and attempt to peel back the layers of what it takes to become credible.

Stay credible, my friends.

Collens W.

Direct Sources:

“Oxford Languages and Google - English.” Oxford Languages, Oxford University Press, languages.oup.com/google-dictionary-en/. Accessed 10 Mar. 2025.