I had someone with whom I collaborate frequently ask a fantastic question in response to the idea that we "All" wear masks.
"Why do we even have to wear any masks? Why can’t we just be our authentic selves all the time?"
It's a fantastic question worth looking into more deeply.
Now, the question comes from a specific understanding of "Masks" that is common in our Society today.
In some Contexts, especially Western Contexts, a "Mask" is used purposefully to be Inauthentic.
The "Mask" within this Context is being used to Hide Something, Usually Dark, from Others.
However, to best Understand Masks, let me pose a different set of questions to give us a New Context to work with...
Why does a Priest wear Robes?
Why does an Executive wear Custom Suits?
Why do Royalty Wear Crowns?
Do the Robes give the Priest the ability to Conduct Miracles?
Does the Custom Suit Multiply Revenue?
Does the Crown Make Someone a True Leader?
I think most of us will agree that the Robes, the Custom Suit, and the Crown have no Inherent Power to them.
They Do Not Accomplish these things without a Human Wearing them.
At the same time, a Human Wearing these items does not "Suddenly" become able to Conduct Miracles, Multiply Revenue, or Lead Effectively.
Despite this Fact we can agree on, so many people "Still" Seek Out these different things.
Why would people be willing to do so many Good and Terrible things for these different items that have No True Power?
Well, the Reality is that while these things do not have a Physical Power, what they all have in common is that they have "Symbolic" Power.
The Priest has a "Symbolic" Power over Souls, identified through their Robes.
The Business Person has a "Symbolic" Power over Businesses, identified through their Suits.
The Royalty has a "Symbolic" Power over a Nation, identified through their Crowns.
When you look at Life like this, you begin to see that there is Symbolic Power all around us.
Why do people Crave Money?
Money is just Paper, or more frequently these days a set of Zeroes and Ones in a Computer System.
Does the Paper or Zeroes and Ones have any power?
Not Really.
They only have Symbolic Power that we Agree to.
If everyone decided that a form of Currency was no Longer of Value, it would lose its Symbolic Power and go back to being Useless.
In fact, "Many" Currencies have lost their Symbolic Power over the Millenia.
Shells used to be a common form of Currency in many Cultures, but today they rarely if ever are accepted as Currency.
If you go to the Grocery Store today and try to pay with Shells, I doubt you will be walking out with any Groceries.
Shells have lost their Symbolic Power as Currency.
Now, bringing us back to Masks and Identities, what we must Understand is that, these too, are forms of Symbolic Powers.
The Mask and Identities we have do not have "Real" Power, only a Symbolic Power that we attempt to Utilize.
Let's take a Common Mask Identity - A Parent.
Yes "Parent" is a Mask that people Put On or Take Off all the time.
For Instance, I have a Biological Father who Chose Not to be a Part of my Life.
The Mask of "Parent" was something he Chose Never to Wear for me.
On the other hand, I also have a Stepfather who came into my Life in High School.
He has no Blood Relation to me, but he has Chosen to Wear the Mask of "Parent" and has been more of a Father to me than any other Man.
If we go down this train of thought Further, there are some Good Parents who will use their Mask of "Parent" to Teach their Children Valuable Lessons.
The Children then Listen to their Parents because there is a "Symbolic" Power with the Mask that the Children Accept...
Until they become Teenagers and Stop Believing in the "Symbolic" Power of the Parent Mask to the Dismay of all Parents who ask what happened to their Good Child!
Then, there are also those Parents who have Children, but they Never Really "Spend Time" with those Children...
However, in Social Functions, they will Dress their Children Up and put on the "Mask" of Parent in an attempt to Use the Mask's Symbolic Power on everyone else at the Function.
As you can see from all of these Examples, the Mask has Nothing to do with Authenticity or Inauthenticity.
The Biological Father is still the Biological Father but gains no Benefits from the Parent Mask.
The Stepfather is Not the Biological Father but gains All the Benefits of the Parent Mask.
To the Young Child, the Parent Mask has so much Power, but that Power is Lost in the Teenage Years (but Usually comes Back in their 30s).
Yet, that doesn't mean the Parents of the Child have Changed, and often the Parents wonder what they've done wrong, when in Reality "They" are the Same Person the entire time.
The Mask of Identity has Nothing to do with Authenticity, it is simply a Symbol.
Some Masks are Used Authentically, and some Masks are Used Inauthentically.
But regardless of whether we Use a Mask Authentically or Inauthentically, we "All" Use Masks for the Same Reason.
We Hope to Gain the Symbolic Power of the Mask.
That is "Why" we All use Masks.
All Masks are ways we Interact with the World.
We Choose to Use Different Masks at Different Times for Different Purposes.
The Mask, in theory, gives us a Symbolic Power when we Interact with the World.
Now, as I discussed yesterday, when a Mask is Worn Inauthentically, its Power is Reduced.
Eventually, people will discover the Truth, and when they do the Mask will Lose "All" Symbolic Power.
However, when a Mask is Worn Authentically, the Symbolic Power is Enhanced, and we become Recognized as Exemplars of that Symbolic Power.
As a Leader, this becomes Incredibly Important.
What Masks Are You Choosing to Wear?
Are you Putting your Masks on with Inauthenticity?
If you do, be prepared for "When" people Discover the Truth.
Are you Putting your Mask on with Authenticity?
What Masks can you Start Using to Benefit Most from their Power Authentically?
We can also apply the Concept to others.
What Masks are those you Lead Wearing?
How can you Better Interact with that Mask?
For Instance, say there is someone on your Team who Frequently Wears the "Parent" Mask.
If you want to Connect with them, just ask them about their Child(ren).
For those you Lead with Authentic Masks, you can Empower them "through" the Masks they Choose to Wear.
For those you Lead with Inauthentic Masks, you can Reveal the Truth.
In some Positive Cases, you may be able to help them put on Better Masks, such as with someone who has a Lot of Potential but Lacks Confidence.
In other Negative Cases, the Truth could Reveal that your Team or Organization No Longer Needs their Deceits.
When you begin to Understand the Identities and Masks we all Choose to Wear, and the types of Symbolic Powers that they Hold, you can begin to better Understand Everyone around you.
You can Understand what they Value.
You can begin to See what they Fear.
You can tap into their "Why" with Ease.
You can Pull Different Identities Together to Create Impactful Teams.
This is the Symbolic Power that comes with these Identity Masks, and you can Positively Use that as a Leader.