What sparked this reflection was a graphic I saw: “7 Signs You’re Dealing with an Inauthentic Person.”

The list was absolute: if someone shows these traits, they’re inauthentic. Full stop. I think this is misleading.

Human behavior is more nuanced.

• Context matters. People can display one or more of these traits due to stress, insecurity, cultural norms, or personal struggles — without being fundamentally “inauthentic.” For example, someone going through a tough period may seek extra validation or seem emotionally “off-key” temporarily.
• Overlap with trauma responses. Traits like manipulative behaviour or no accountability can sometimes come from learned survival strategies, not deliberate deceit.
• Cultural and personality differences. “Overly polished persona” might reflect professional standards or cultural norms, not insincerity.
• The danger of labeling. Treating these signs as definitive proof risks oversimplifying and unfairly categorizing people. At best, these should be framed as possible indicators to watch for over time, not instant verdicts.

When we latch onto a label too quickly, we risk being myopic — zooming in on one frame of the movie and deciding we’ve understood the whole plot.

When Labels Miss the Real Issue

This also came to mind when I read Brian Scudamore’s post about burnout. He noticed that tired, unmotivated, or checked-out employees are often labeled as burned out. But sometimes it’s not burnout at all.

It might be boredom. Or misalignment — when your role constantly pulls you away from your motivated abilities, values, or natural working style.
It might be frustration that your effort isn’t leading anywhere meaningful.
It could even be loneliness or a clash of values.

Brian shared that early in his career, he thought he was burned out. But he eventually realized he was misaligned — his team didn’t believe in his vision, and he didn’t like the leader he was becoming. Once he saw that clearly, he could act.

Other common mislabels I see in alignment work:

• “Poor time management” → Possible process misalignment. Overwhelm isn’t always a lack of discipline — sometimes the system is built for chaos.
• “Low performer” → Possible role misalignment. The wrong seat on the bus will make anyone look like they’re underperforming.
• “Toxic team” → Possible values misalignment. Friction often stems from mismatched cultural norms rather than bad intentions.
• “Poor communicator” → Possible channel misalignment. The message isn’t lost — it’s just being sent in a way the receiver doesn’t process well.

The Risk of Myopic Diagnosis

When we slap a label on too quickly — inauthentic, burnout, lazy, arrogant, unprofessional — we stop looking for the underlying structural, cultural, or role-based causes.

Alignment work forces us to pause, ask better questions, and see whether the system, role, or expectations are actually the problem.

Before you label, ask:

• Have I seen this repeatedly and in different settings?
• Could there be a situational, cultural, or structural reason?
• Am I open to being wrong?

We all deserve the gift of being seen before we’re summed up.

Strategic Alignment Prompt:

What if the label you’ve given isn’t the truth — just the quickest explanation? How much clarity are you losing by stopping at the first diagnosis?

Before you decide it’s burnout, a “bad hire,” or someone being inauthentic — let’s make sure we’re looking at the real problem. A Clarity Conversation is where we strip away the labels and uncover what’s actually misaligned in your people, processes, or roles. Because once you see the truth, you can fix it for good.