The Talisman of Leadership – Authenticity

by Bruna Martinuzzi

“I have come to realize that, for me at least, the quest for ‘authenticity’ is really a new spin on an age-old quest to find meaning and do the right thing. It’s a journey not a destination; a process not an answer.” − Hugh Mason

Some time ago, I heard a young woman say, “I am enough.” I was struck and intrigued by the expression, and so I set out to research it. It originated with Carl Rogers, the psychotherapist, who was asked how he did what he did, so successfully. His response was, “Before a session with a client, I let myself know that ‘I am enough.’ Not perfect—because perfect wouldn’t be enough. But I am human, and there is nothing that this client can say or do or feel that I cannot feel in myself. I can be with them. I am enough.”