Authenticity has become one of those words that appears everywhere.
Authentic leadership.
Authentic engagement.
Authentic conversations.
Yet I often wonder whether we’ve forgotten what authenticity actually means.
Sometimes it feels less like authenticity and more like performance. As though we’re all trying to play the part of someone who appears authentic.
For me, authenticity has nothing to do with acting naturally or appearing relatable.
It is much simpler than that.
It is alignment.
Alignment between what we believe, what we value and what we choose to do.
Our values become the compass that guides our decisions, especially when those decisions are difficult.
Anyone can talk about values.
Authenticity begins when our values influence decisions that could have benefited us commercially.
The real test of authenticity isn’t whether we can talk about our values. It’s what happens when our values and our commercial objectives point in different directions.
Recently I was speaking with a pharmaceutical client about their respiratory portfolio.
Changes to the asthma guidelines meant that one of their brands was unlikely to remain a first line treatment. Naturally, we discussed what this might mean for future growth.
Then the client said something I absolutely loved.
“At the end of the day, we need to support the guidelines, even if they limit the growth of our brand. We need to do the right thing for patients.”
To me, that is authenticity.
Not because it sounds good.
Because it would have been much easier to focus solely on protecting market share.
Instead, the conversation started with patients.
That is exactly how trust is built.
In my experience, the NHS is incredibly good at recognising intent.
When healthcare professionals believe that your recommendations are genuinely centred on improving patient outcomes, rather than simply growing sales, the quality of the conversation changes. Trust develops because your priorities are aligned with theirs.
This also made me reflect on something else.
We spend a lot of time talking about communication, messaging and engagement.
But perhaps we don’t spend enough time talking about intent.
Because people can usually tell the difference.
They know when you’re genuinely trying to improve outcomes and when you’re simply trying to achieve your own objectives.
When our intentions are honourable, trust follows.
I was reminded of this again during another discussion.
We were exploring a potential collaboration between a company providing diagnostic testing and another offering treatment for the condition being diagnosed. On paper, the opportunity seemed obvious. Earlier diagnosis could lead to earlier treatment and ultimately better outcomes for patients.
One member of our team raised an interesting point.
Perhaps the treatment company would be reluctant to collaborate because wider testing might reduce the number of patients ultimately eligible for their therapy.
My immediate thought was, “If that’s the case, I wouldn’t want to work with them.”
Not because they would be making a poor commercial decision.
Because it wouldn’t be aligned with our values.
If improving patient outcomes and making better use of NHS resources isn’t the starting point, then we’re probably not the right partner for each other.
The organisations I admire most are not those with the best values written on their websites.
They are the ones whose decisions consistently reflect those values, even when no one is watching.
Values don’t become visible when we write them on a wall.
They become visible when they influence our decisions.
Because values are easy to display when they cost us nothing.
Authenticity begins when living those values costs us something.
Perhaps authenticity doesn’t always maximise short-term growth.
But it almost always builds long-term trust.
And in healthcare, trust is one of the most valuable assets any organisation can earn.
Perhaps authenticity isn’t about finding your voice.
It’s about finding the courage to let your values speak before your commercial ambitions do.
I’d love to hear your perspective.
Have you experienced a moment when doing the right thing conflicted with commercial objectives? Or have you worked with an individual or organisation whose actions genuinely reflected their values, even when it came at a cost?
