Would You Hire Yourself? The Leadership Gap Between Being Real and Being Authentic

Recently, I ran a simple poll on LinkedIn:
The question and the options were deliberately uncomfortable: Would you hire yourself for your current role?

The results were telling:
• Absolutely - 85%
• Maybe, with upskilling - 11%
• Not sure - 1%
• No, I’d need a different path - 4%

Not to stir the pot, but to get people to pause and be honest with themselves. What stood out wasn’t just the votes. It was how many people prefaced their answer with “If I’m being real…” or “I’m being authentic here…”.

We throw those words around as if they’re the same. They’re not. And confusing them is one of the biggest blockers to leadership growth today.

Being real

Being real is how you feel right now:
“I’m overwhelmed.”
“I don’t like this direction.”
“I’m not good at this.”
It’s honest and refreshing.
But being real is also reactive.
It reflects the moment, not the leader you’re becoming.

Being authentic

Authenticity goes deeper.
It’s intentional. Aligned. Consistent.
It’s when your actions match your values even under pressure.
Authentic leaders don’t blurt everything they feel.
They choose how they show up because their behaviour impacts others.
Same truth. Very different impact.

Why the distinction matters

A leader who’s “just being real” can accidentally create inconsistency, volatility, or mistrust.
Authentic leadership builds credibility because it connects honesty with responsibility.

Re-reading the poll through this lens

If you answered Absolutely, would your team say the same based on how you show up?
If you answered Maybe, with upskilling, that’s authenticity in action: acknowledging gaps and owning growth.
If you answered Not sure, it may not be about capability at all. It might be about misalignment between your values and the role you’re in.
If you answered No, that might be the most ‘real’ response of all. It takes courage to admit that success on paper doesn’t always equal fit in practice.

The real leadership question (and you don’t need the title to be a leader!)

Not “Am I good enough?”
But “Am I showing up as the leader this role actually needs?”
If this resonates, here are three practical shifts that help bridge the gap.

From expression to intention

Before speaking, ask:
• Is this true?
• Is this helpful?
• Is this aligned with my role and values?

Authenticity doesn’t silence honesty, it shapes it.

From emotion to responsibility.
Your feelings are valid.
Your impact is your responsibility.
Authentic leaders manage their emotional expression without denying their emotional reality.

From self-focus to role-focus

Ask less:
• How do I feel about this?
Ask more:
• What does my team need from me here?

That shift alone transforms leadership presence.

So… Would You Hire Yourself?
Not based on potential.
Not based on effort.
Not based on how “real” you are in conversation.
But based on:
• Consistency
• Alignment
• Growth
• Impact
• Motivation

That’s the standard authenticity sets.

And it’s one worth holding ourselves to, especially when no one else is asking.
I’m curious:
When you answered the poll or , were you being real with yourself…
or authentic about who you’re becoming as a leader?
Because the difference matters more than we often realise.