In recent years, “bring your whole self to work” has become one of the most overused slogans in the corporate lexicon. It sounds liberating, human, and progressive: an antidote to the sterile, hierarchical workplace cultures of the past.

Leaders who champion this mantra usually mean well. They want to signal psychological safety, inclusion, and humanity. They want people to feel seen and valued, not like replaceable cogs in a machine.

But, as I illustrate in my latest book, like many management clichés, this one has backfired. The idea that employees should bring their whole selves to work is not just unrealistic, but also unwise.