How Leaders Stay True to Themselves and Their Stakeholders MIT Sloan Management Review & Report December 9, 2025 By Elizabeth Heichler Elizabeth Heichler is the editorial director, magazine, at MIT Sloan Management Review When we talk about the importance of authentic leadership, we often focus on how a leader is perceived and builds trust. But there can be a shadow side to authenticity that can have negative effects, when we see authenticity as a license to express our unfiltered selves.