I was taken aback the other day when my thirteen-year-old daughter advised, “You just fake it till you make it.” Should I be worried or encouraged by this cavalier philosophy? Is this catchphrase erroneously used to excuse duplicitous behavior?
The origins of the adage ‘Fake it till you make it’ are based on the power of conditioning your mind. It means ‘think it until you believe it’ and was coined to help people avoid getting caught in a self-fulfilling prophecy related to one’s fear of not being confident. I am a strong supporter of positive affirmations and an advocate for ‘believing in yourself’, which can boost confidence and help create a positive outcome. No doubt ‘putting on a brave face’ can assist with mustering courage to face a major hurdle.
However, above all else I value honesty, integrity and authenticity. I am concerned this catchphrase can be used as a euphemism to justify deceitful or disingenuous acts or just an excuse to lie. In the corporate environment, I’m bewildered when I hear people exaggerate their experience or hold back from telling the truth to an employer or potential client because they feel they can ‘learn on the job’ or teach themselves job requirements online. This laissez-faire attitude to ‘bend the truth’ and ‘fake it to make it’ I believe is dishonest and troubling.
Recent examples in the media highlight the audaciousness of some people and the measures they will take to ‘fake it to make it’. Andrew Flanagan landed a $400,000 annual package at Myer based on a false CV and dodgy references. It begs the question, how many other people embellish or even lie on their CV? What lengths should employers take to verify a candidate’s background? What should you do if you suspect spurious credentials?
Continuously faking it will only take you so far. As they say, ‘The proof is in the pudding.’ In the end people will form a judgement based upon the integrity of your behavior and actions, and the outcomes you achieve. Just like Andrew Flanagan, phonies will eventually be caught out.
