Feeling At Home at Work: 4 Strategies for Authentic Leadership

Dec 15, 2025
4 min read

Authenticity and a sense of belonging at work aren’t just nice to have. They’re critical for effective leadership and team success. Leaders who feel they can show up as themselves, while also feeling connected to their organization, are more engaged, make better decisions, and foster innovation. They build trust, create psychologically safe environments, and inspire their teams to perform at their best.

Yet many of us experience tension: we want to lead authentically, but don’t always fully identify with the organization’s culture or values. The good news is, you can feel deeply yourself even if the company doesn’t completely reflect your identity. And there are practical ways to navigate that gap while staying effective and connected.

Mapping the experience

Being authentic and feeling connected to your organization are related but distinct. Understanding the difference can help you take deliberate actions to strengthen both your sense of self and your engagement at work.

Authenticity = acting in line with your true values, beliefs, and emotions; feeling internally coherent.
Organizational identification = feeling a sense of belonging and alignment with the organization’s values, norms, and goals.

These dimensions don’t always move together. Some people feel fully authentic but not completely 'at home,' while others may feel aligned with the company but suppress their personal values.

The matrix below can help you see where you fall and how to approach identity work:

	Low Org. Identification	High Org. Identification
High Authenticity	1. The Rebel: Stays true to their values even when the company doesn’t fully reflect them; navigates tension with deliberate identity work.	2. The Thriving Self: Fully aligned and authentic; can express values freely and feel “at home” while contributing fully.
Low Authenticity	3. The Ghost: Neither aligned with the organization nor authentic; struggles with engagement, belonging, and identity clarity.	4. The Masked Fit: Appears aligned outwardly but suppresses personal values; risks stress and disengagement longer-term.

Understanding where you sit in this matrix can guide which strategies to adopt. Deliberate identity work helps you maintain authenticity, strengthen engagement, and even increase your sense of connection with the organization over time.

Deliberate Identity Work: 4 Practical Approaches

1️⃣ Cognitive – Reframe Your Perspective

Mental strategies help you make sense of tension between your values and organizational expectations.

Example: A manager in a finance team feels uneasy about short-term performance pressure, but deeply values empathy and care for others. Instead of ignoring the pressure, they reframe their role: by completing reports and analyses efficiently, they can anticipate client risks and provide guidance that protects their interests. The pressure remains, but performing the work with this purpose allows them to feel they are truly caring for clients, turning a potentially stressful environment into a meaningful contribution.

2️⃣ Behavioral – Shape How You Show Up

Actions help you express your values and interests, even when the organizational culture doesn’t fully match them.

Example: A product manager values environmental responsibility, but works in a fast-paced, delivery-focused environment. Instead of trying to change the culture, they seek out and volunteer for sustainability-related initiatives within the organization. By spending part of their time on projects connected to environmental impact, their daily work begins to reflect what matters to them. Even though speed remains a priority in the company, this form of job crafting allows the individual to express their values through action, making the role feel more authentic and energizing.

3️⃣ Discursive – Build Micro-Spaces of Belonging

Relationships and communication help you find spaces where your 'sense of self' is seen and supported.

Example: An employee who cares deeply about health & wellbeing topics works in a fast-paced, performance-driven environment. They seek out a small group of colleagues who share an interest in sustainable ways of working. Together, they openly discuss workload, energy management, and practical ways to protect focus and recovery in their day-to-day work. Within this group, the employee can speak honestly, feel understood, and show up fully as themselves, even if these priorities aren’t always visible in the wider organization. These micro-spaces of allyship create a powerful sense of authenticity and belonging.

4️⃣ Symbolic – Signal What Matters to You

Environment, appearance, and small symbols help you stay anchored in who you are and quietly express what you value.

Example: An employee values continuous learning but has been in the same role for years. To stay connected to that part of their identity, they keep books, articles, or a learning journal visible on their desk, display a quote about growth or curiosity, and choose a professional style that feels comfortable and open rather than overly rigid. These small cues don’t change the job, but they change how it’s experienced. They reinforce a growth-oriented identity and serve as daily reminders: even in a familiar role, I am still someone who learns.

Feeling authentic or 'at home' at work doesn’t require perfect alignment with your organization.

By using cognitive, behavioral, discursive, and symbolic identity work strategies, you can create spaces where you feel yourself, even if the broader culture isn’t a perfect fit. Small, deliberate actions, like reframing tasks, shaping your role, connecting with supportive peers, or signaling your values, accumulate over time, reinforcing your sense of authenticity and deepening your connection to your work.

What is one small step you could take this week to feel more yourself at work?