Authenticity: Bearing true witness 1

More thoughts on Q. J. Schultze (2002) Habits of the High-Tech Heart. Baker Academic, Grand Rapids, MI.

In chapter five, Schultze discusses authenticity by focusing on the key problem of symbol brokers, whom he defines as “professional communicators who broker mass-mediated messages between different audiences.” (Schultze, 2002, p. 122). In sum, his main criticism is of communication that is too often focused on selling a willing public the optimistic messages it wants to hear. Schultze calls these people disingenuous self-promoters who are more successful at brokering an ethos than building a quality or needed product.

In response, Schultze calls cyberculture to turn from deceitful posturing toward authenticity which requires us “to know who we are, to present that known self to others, and to avoid persona-building activities” (p. 131). In short, he believes authenticity in cyberculture must be marked by:

• Truthfulness: this consists of more than but never less than factuality or correctness.
• Empathy: admitting our own limitation; learning from another's perspective
• Integrity: a unifying center instead of a smorgasbord of consumer options.

Let’s compare some ideas on authenticity with an article by well-known leadership author Bill George (Winter 2004). For George, an authentic leadership style shows that success is not only for here and now, but the true measure of leadership is when success is attained years after your time in power. This endurance stands in contrast to Schultze's reference to a criticism that many Silicon Valley companies were founded by mercenaries not interested in building something of lasting value, but rather something they could easily flip (2002, p. 35).

George describes several dimensions of authenticity but for the sake of brevity, I will comment on just three: clear purpose, accepting your weaknesses, and solid values. The first quality he posits is that authentic leaders understand their purpose – they have a clear and moral direction of leading. He feels without a real sense of purpose, leaders are at the mercy of their egos and vulnerable to narcissistic impulses. In this state, George says people are driven by an attraction to power, prestige, and the lure of financial rewards. This reminds me of what Schultze calls persona building and is reflected in his comments on the corporate culture of Oracle under the leadership of Larry Ellison, who failed to establish a common ethical direction for the company (2002, p. 130). It seems Schultze suggests that inauthenticity will lead to expediency – that is, striving to win by any means necessary.

Next, George states that strengths and weaknesses are two sides of the same coin and accepting your “shadow side” is an essential part of being authentic. For George, the problem comes when people are so eager to win the approval of others or appear invulnerable that they try to cover their shortcomings. Such efforts diminish authenticity because people know our weaknesses anyway. Schultze remarks that symbol brokers frequently simplify and even distort technological reality, often reformulating these myths for each new technological innovation (2002, p. 126). Few examples illustrate this better than the famed “reality distortion field” associated with Apple, Inc. CEO, Steve Jobs. The term refers to his seeming ability to warp the public’s powers of judgment concerning Apple’s newest products.

Lastly, George feels solid values define the holder’s moral compass, so they do not end up like high profile executives now facing prison sentences. One crucial value required for every authentic leader is integrity, which means telling the whole truth as agonizing or even unexciting it may be. I see continuity here with Schultze’s comments on how symbol brokers were able to convince the public that technology companies were far more solvent and better positioned in the market than they actually were (2002, p. 128). The infamous AOL Time Warner merger in 2000 is a good example of such brokering.

References

George, B. (Winter 2004). The Journey to Authenticity. Leader to Leader 31, 29-35. Retrieved July 2, 2010 from http://www.leadertoleader.org/knowledgecenter/journal.aspx?ArticleID=75

Schultze, Q. J. (2002). Habits of the high-tech heart. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic.