What happened to reality?

Amongst the many words chosen as the word for 2023, two of the major dictionaries have identified words that show concern about how we tell what is real.

Cambridge Dictionary chose the word "hallucinate", adding to its existing meaning to include the way AI generates content that can be untrue. It hallucinates or makes up things that are not real. Merriam-Webster chose the word "authentic", with the interest "driven by stories and conversations about AI, celebrity culture, identity, and social media".

Now, I think it's a bit early in the day and the year for me to dive into discussing the nature of reality and whether life is all one giant shared hallucination, but knowing what is real, true, authentic and what is not, seems to be on our collective minds.

It makes it more important than ever that we keep it real and be deliberate about how we choose to show up. These two words of the year are powerful reminders about being clear on and living up to our values.

It will be different for everyone but probably includes the need to be present with the people and our tasks. Say what we think, believe, and see without politics, ego, sugarcoating, or being mean. Allow ourselves to let loose a little, laugh more, try harder, and when we get it wrong, put up our hands, apologise, make it right if we can and do better next time.

What does keeping it real in a world where it's hard to tell mean to you?

#keepingitreal #values #leadership