The Myth of Bringing Your Whole Self to Work, with Fiorenza Rossini

We’ve all heard the advice: bring your whole self to work. But recently, two voices made me stop and rethink that message — Amy Edmondson , who reminds us that authenticity needs accountability, and Jodi-Ann Burey , whose book Authentic: The Myth of Bringing Your Full Self to Work explores how “being yourself” can carry a cost, especially for women and people of colour. Amy’s post offered a great example: a colleague who interrupts everyone and says, “That’s just how I am.” Authentic? Maybe. But not exactly inclusive. Her point: instead of bringing our whole selves, we should bring our best selves — still imperfect, but aware of others. Then there’s Jodi-Ann’s story: accused of having a “race agenda” two weeks into a new job, even though inclusion was part of her role. It highlights the contradiction so many people face — workplaces say they want authenticity and diversity, but often punish it when it shows up in real life. For me, authenticity isn’t about exposure, it’s about integrity — showing up in a way that feels aligned and safe. True belonging means both care and accountability, for ourselves and for the spaces we share. 🕰️ Episode Chapters 00:00 – Why “whole self” can be both promise and trap 01:30 – Amy Edmondson: authenticity with accountability 04:00 – Jodi-Ann Burey: when being yourself has a cost 09:00 – Gen Z and shifting ideas of success 11:30 – My reflections on authenticity and belonging ✨ Key Takeaways * Authenticity matters, but so does accountability. * Being yourself shouldn’t come at a personal cost. * You don’t owe work your whole self — only your best self. 📚 Mentioned * Amy Edmondson’s post on authenticity ( on LinkedIn ) Authentic: The Myth of Bringing Your Full Self to Work by Jodi-Ann Burey 👩🏽‍💻 ✨ This podcast is fully self-funded. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this episode. Please comment below!Any questions or if you’d love to reach out, DM me!67fdd0481070a3063a748759d71f2f2814fe3a0e This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit belongingproject.substack.com

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The Myth of Bringing Your Whole Self to Work, with Fiorenza Rossini is an episode from The Belonging Project by Fiorenza Rossini.

This episode is 9:48 long.

This episode was published on Oct 21, 2025.

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