Play the gig.
If you're called to play a blues gig, your bandleader is not looking for you to sound like Bach. And if you're hired to do a job at a company, your employer is looking for you to show up and be what they need you to be.
"Authenticity" is knowing how and when to be what the people you serve need you to be.
Last week, I realized that I am a bull in a china shop - most times. My personality tends to command a room, influence the band, and bring others into an experience I am trying to create. The people I serve don't always need that from me. Does that mean you have to change who you are?
The working musician knows lots of music styles–if they didn't, nobody would hire them. For any given performance, the musician needs to switch from one genre to another fluidly and effortlessly. Changing how you play doesn't change who you are–you are only changing how you play the gig. Life is no different.
To learn a new style, ask these questions:
How are my peers showing up?
How do they respond in meetings?
How do they do the work they do?
Think outside of work, maybe you're traveling:
How do people sit down to eat?
How do they eat their food?
How do they greet others who are in authority or older?
Getting better at playing the gig is learning how to show up, listen, and contribute. Life is no different.
