When the ego takes over and we let all of those thoughts influence our behavior, we are certainly NOT being authentic.

In today's world of two-faced politicians, the advertising industry telling us we're not good enough and fast talking salesman, we all crave true authenticity. We just want someone who will be open, honest and share their vulnerability with us.

Most of us have experienced the unsolicited sales call, where the telephone rings just as you are about to eat dinner (which, by the way, is no coincidence, since they know that people are usually home at dinner time). The salesperson runs through his or her "spiel", has prepared a counter-argument for every possible objection you might utter, and says your name at the beginning of every sentence, which I personally find very annoying. How likely are you to buy from this person?

Now what if this salesperson really cared? What if they really listened to what you were saying? What if they showed some vulnerability rather than being a smooth talker? An authentic person is much more likely to get the sale in any business.

I'm conducting a training session on Communication & Presentation Skills for the Associates Programme of a US investment bank in London at the end of this month. One point I intend to make is that to be an effective communicator, you have to be yourself; you have to be authentic! You can't just mimic someone else's style if it is not you and you don't feel comfortable.

Now that I've starting this blog, my first tendency is to worry about what others will think. So my promise to you is that I will be authentic and I won't care. I'll write from my heart and my soul.

As you go through your day, think about how authentic you are being in every moment.