In an article that appeared in the January/February 2015 issue of Harvard Business Review, Herminia Ibarra suggests that there are several reasons why so many leaders struggle with authenticity. Here are three.

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“First, we make more-frequent and more-radical changes in the kinds of of work we do. As we strive to improve our game, a clear and firm sense of self is a compass that helps us navigate choices and progress toward our goals. But when we’re looking to change our game, a too rigid self-concept becomes an anchor that keeps us from sailing forth.”

“Second, in global business, many of us work with people who don’t share our cultural norms and have different expectations for how we should behave. It can often seem as if we have to choose between what is expected — and therefore effective — and what feels authentic.

“Third, identities are always on display in today’s world of ubiquitous connectivity and social media. How we present ourselves — not just as executives but as people, with quirks and broader interests —  has become an important aspect of leadership. Having to carefully curate a persona that’s out there for all to see can clash with our private sense of self.”

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“The only way we grow as leaders is by stretching the limits of who we are — doing new things that make us uncomfortable but that teach us through direct experience who we want to become. Such growth doesn’t require a radical personality makeover. Small changes — in the way we carry ourselves, the way we communicate, the way we interact — often make a world of difference in how effective we lead.”

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Here is a direct link to the complete article.

Herminia Ibarra is the Charles Handy Professor of Organizational Behavior at London Business School. Prior to joining LBS, she served on the INSEAD and Harvard Business School faculties. An authority on leadership and career development, Thinkers 50 ranks Ibarra among the top management thinkers in the world. She is a member of the World Economic Forum’s Expert Network, a judge for the Financial Times/McKinsey Business Book of the Year Award, and one of the 100 most influential people in gender policy around the world, according to Apolitical. To learn more about her and her work, please click here.

To check out her TEDX Talk at London Business School, please click here.