Wednesday’s July 25, 2012 Wall Street Journal Marketplace section provided an interesting insight into a perceived sacrifice that CEO’s – particularly of public companies – feel they have to make. The article, “A Silence Hangs Over Gay CEO’s” illustrates the pervasive “check your personal life at the door when you enter your workplace” mentality. It is irrational to believe that an employee can hide their true self and perform to their fullest potential on a day-in-and-day-out basis. These CEO’s expressed the very real concerns about the impact that their decision to come out would have on their organization, noting things such as potential loss of clients and issues with board/shareholders. In the article, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. CEO Lloyd Blankfein was quoted about having lost at least one client since his public support for gay marriage, “It doesn’t come without a price, but I could care less.” The reporter notes that “(The CEO’s interviewed) say their job performance improved because they felt more at ease among colleagues.”

Organizations increasingly blur the lines of work time and personal time with employees; and yet, the unwritten cultural norm in some organizations is that employees should separate the two – keeping their personal circumstances to themselves. To attain employees who are truly engaged in the organization, employers need to create an environment where each individual feels that they are encouraged to bring their best self to the workplace each day.