Graded Pre-Course Assignment: Bring hard copy to class on July 20 th

Read Herminia Ibarra’s Harvard Business Review article “The Authenticity Paradox” and answer the

following questions:

1. Do you consider yourself a true-to-selfer or a chameleon? Give 2-3 reasons for your answer.

I consider myself to be a chameleon.

I personally believe every person we interact with is different and so is every circumstance that we
are put to in our daily lives. Therefore, it may be right to say that we need to alter the way we
respond to changing people and circumstances by trying out newer personality traits. Also, during
my internship with a media company, I was given the responsibility to lead a team of 10 interns.
While I was quite nervous on the inside about whether they would accept me as their leader or not, I
didn’t express it. With newer interns who felt uncomfortable at work, I was humble and shared with
them how I too felt the same way and we encouraged each other to stay confident. While, with the
more confident interns, I portrayed my leadership skills, and behaved as if there was not the
slightest fear or hesitation in me. Thus, I am comfortable in blending into different personality traits
as per changing circumstances or when I’m interacting with people of different personalities.

2. Do you think you will adapt to becoming a true-to-selfer or a chameleon during your MBA

course? During your work life? Why or why not?

I believe I will certainly adapt to becoming a more trained chameleon during my MBA course. And
even during work life going forward. The reason is that the more I am interacting with people here at
Great Lakes, I am realizing that there are so many aspects in their personalities that I can learn from
and absorb into my personality. I would certainly want to try out newer traits in my personality in
these two years of my MBA journey, to be able to more effectively blend into varied roles and
demands that I may be faced with at work or otherwise, going forward in life.