Why ‘bringing your whole self to work’ is a trap, especially for women

For the past decade, “Bring your whole self to work” has been heralded as a marker of organizational progress. A shorthand for inclusion, psychological safety and modern leadership, the message is seductive: you no longer need to edit yourself to succeed.

But for many, that promise doesn’t match reality. In practice, “whole self” culture often asks people to take personal risks within systems that haven’t changed to accommodate them, with no established boundaries or expectations regarding what “whole self” actually means.