The Authenticity Paradox: What Kind of Leader Does Your Company Really Need?

Today’s founders are told to “be authentic.” To lead with vulnerability. To be true to who they are. And while that advice is rooted in good intentions, it’s not always helpful—especially when your company is growing, your role is changing, and you’re no longer sure what being authentic even means.

Is authenticity about staying the same? Or is it about adapting into the leader your company needs next?

This is the heart of a growing debate in leadership psychology between two respected thinkers: Bill George, who champions authenticity as the foundation of great leadership, and Herminia Ibarra, who warns that authenticity can become a trap if it prevents leaders from evolving.

At Founded Partners, we help founder-led companies navigate growth. One of the hardest parts of that journey is personal: how to stay grounded while stepping into bigger, more strategic leadership. This post explores both sides of the debate—and offers practical tools to help you lead with clarity, adaptability, and integrity.

The Debate: Two Views on Authentic Leadership

Bill George: Be Yourself. Lead With Purpose.

Bill George, the former CEO of Medtronic and author of True North, helped define the concept of authentic leadership. His message is simple and powerful:

• Great leaders are deeply self-aware

• They act in alignment with their values

• They build trust by being consistent and genuine

• They lead with purpose, not ego

George argues that authenticity isn’t just good ethics—it’s good business. Employees won’t follow someone they don’t trust. And trust is built when leaders are real, not rehearsed.

“People will not follow you unless they trust you. And they won’t trust you unless you’re authentic.”
— Bill George

For founders, this often resonates. Many start their companies from a personal mission. The idea of showing up with anything less than full sincerity feels dishonest.

But that’s where Herminia Ibarra introduces a compelling challenge.

Herminia Ibarra: Authenticity Can Hold You Back

Herminia Ibarra, professor of organizational behavior at London Business School, doesn’t reject authenticity—but she believes it’s more complex than we often admit.

In her TEDx talk The Authenticity Paradox, Ibarra says that early in a leader’s career, “being yourself” serves you well. But as your role expands, so must your identity. If you cling too tightly to the leadership version of yourself that feels natural, you may limit your growth.

“To grow as a leader, you have to do things that don’t come naturally. That’s how we expand our range.”
— Herminia Ibarra

According to Ibarra:

• Leadership growth often requires stepping outside your comfort zone

• Experimentation is essential to leadership development

• Being “too authentic” can mean resisting change under the banner of integrity

• New roles often feel inauthentic at first—not because they’re wrong, but because they’re new

In short, if you wait to feel authentic before trying something new, you might never grow.

What This Means for Founders

As a founder, you live this tension more than most.

You start as the builder, the problem-solver, the centre of every decision. Your leadership is direct, personal, and tied closely to execution. It feels natural because it is who you are.

But as your business grows, your role shifts:

• You go from doing to delegating

• You go from building the product to building the team

• You go from being hands-on to working through others

• You go from leading informally to leading a culture

And this shift can feel uncomfortable. You might say:

• “That’s not me.”

• “I don’t want to be corporate.”

• “I’m not a ‘CEO’ type.”

• “I’m not comfortable with that level of formality or distance.”

That’s when authenticity becomes a paradox.

Are you staying true to yourself—or avoiding the discomfort of growth?

Reflection Questions for Founders

To help you navigate your own authenticity paradox, consider the following:

• What parts of my leadership feel most natural right now?

• Where do I feel resistance to changing how I lead?

• Am I holding on to past behaviours because they’re truly aligned—or because they’re comfortable?

• What leadership behaviours feel unnatural today, but might serve the company better tomorrow?

• What do I fear will happen if I show up differently?

• Is my leadership grounded in values—or in habit?

There are no right or wrong answers. But asking these questions will help you lead with more intentionality.

How to Grow as a Leader Without Losing Yourself

At Founded Partners, we work with founders at critical inflection points—often when they’re feeling the pressure to become someone new, without wanting to lose what made them effective in the first place.

Here’s what we’ve seen work:

1. Anchor Yourself in Values, Not Personality

You don’t need to stay the same person forever. But you do need to stay aligned to your values. Values give you the stability to evolve your behaviours without losing your integrity.

2. Experiment With New Leadership Behaviours

Try acting like the next version of yourself. Lead that board meeting. Coach instead of solve. Let your VP own the roadmap. It might feel unnatural at first. That’s not inauthentic—it’s the cost of growth.

3. Use Reflection and Feedback to Find Your True North

Use regular reflection—journaling, coaching, or feedback loops—to process what’s working and what’s not. This builds self-awareness and lets you course-correct before small issues become cultural ones.

4. Teach Others That Growth Isn’t Inauthentic

Model the message that leadership is learned. When your team sees you stretch, they’ll be more willing to stretch too.

Authenticity Is a Journey, Not a Fixed Identity

Bill George reminds us to lead with integrity. Herminia Ibarra reminds us that integrity isn’t always comfortable. Both are right.

Authenticity isn’t about staying the same. It’s about showing up honestly while allowing yourself to grow. For founders, that means evolving your leadership without abandoning your vision. It means building a business that reflects your values—but is not limited by your habits.

And sometimes, it means working with someone who can help you figure it out.

Feeling the tension between staying true and stepping up?
Let’s work through it—together.

At Founded Partners, we help founders navigate personal and professional transformation during critical stages of growth. Through structured founder advisory, we help you align who you are, how you lead, and what your company needs next.

This isn’t coaching. It’s strategic guidance with a psychological edge.
Reach out to learn more about our Founder Advisory work.