Finding Success by Being the Authentic You

We can spot a phony a mile away. But when someone relies upon his or her own genuine character and real strengths to move forward to a goal, we know it, and even though we may not embrace the image, we respect the person.

To be sure, authenticity is a characteristic to be valued in both genders. It is still worth emphasizing that today we have several public role models of truly authentic women who demonstrate this point. For example, Newsweek reports: "[t]here are more female governors in office than ever before, and they are making their mark with a pragmatic, post-partisan approach to solving state problems" (October 15, 2007, p. 66). These women receive high marks for, and in my view, rely on their authentic qualities of "honesty, cooperation and caring—as well as toughness." (Id.)