# You are the best!!! By:: [[Brian Heath]] 2023-08-16 Sometimes in one's career, someone will email the entire organization announcing some achievement. It could be a completion of a project, or it could be someone retiring from the organization after many years. These announcements are intended to inform the organization and recognize those highlighted in the email. There is nothing inherently wrong with these announcements. They are often valuable and informative, which is rare in modern organizations. However, what may be more beneficial and informative is observed by closely watching what is said by those who intentionally hit reply-all. Often those who hit reply-all fall clearly into one of two camps: authentic and inauthentic. Authentic messages come from people close to the events and people of the news. These messages have a dose of reality, are not self-serving, and, most importantly, align with how you experience that person daily. This contrasts with inauthentic messages that have more words than substance, are self-serving, and do not align with how you experience that person. Often the phony message comes from managers and those who want to be managers who mistake words for leadership. It takes 30 seconds to hit reply-all, type up a bunch of appreciative words of directionally correct gratitude, and hit send. It takes real effort to be an authentic and effective manager. If one is lucky, one may eventually even become an authentic leader. Organizations have propagated the idea of awards and words of praise because so many managers are horrible at managing and leading. Instead of training for the marathon, organizations have bought managers the best and shiniest shoes to wear around the office. This does not help one finish the marathon and is not a real investment. Enough with the bullshit gratitude pretending to be authentic leadership; get off the couch, and start the walk. #### Related Items [[Management]] [[Leadership]] [[Authenticity]] [[Solidarity]] [[Words]] [[Work]] [[Organization]]