Former U.S. Secret Service agent says bringing your authentic self to work stifles teamwork: ’You don’t get high performers, you get sloppiness’

Photo of Evy Poumpouras (Credit: Jim Spellman—Getty Images)

Especially as you grow tenure at an organization, it feels much easier and comfortable to bring your authentic self to work. But former Secret Service agent Evy Poumpouras says that’s bad for business.

“Don’t bring your authentic self to work. I don’t want your authentic self to work. I want your professional self. I want your respectful self,” she told the Diary of a CEO podcast in an episode published in September 2025. “I want your empathetic self. I want your competent self. You can bring your authentic self to a Thanksgiving meal with your family if you’d like to.”