Developing a Deeper Understanding of Leadership Authenticity
People seek the best from their leaders, and generally, good leaders want to deliver. At the very least, most leaders hope their employees will enjoy working with them. After all, we’re only human and it’s natural to want to create a working environment where people are happy and thrive. Endless studies show that the best leaders consistently produce results, but what makes a leader ‘good’?
There is plenty of debate on the topic. Some leaders believe in leaving their team to get on with things, while others delegate tasks down to the last factor. Largely, success with methods like these depends largely on the team with whom you’re working. However, one leadership quality which continually surfaces when it comes to team success is “authenticity.”
The majority of work teams state their desire for authentic leadership above all other qualities. This has proven to be so vital that studies in leading leadership and organizational development journals have even shown that leadership authenticity is the strongest predictor of employee satisfaction.
Unsurprisingly, authenticity is something which good leaders should strive. What then goes into creating a more authentic leadership style?
#1 - Knowing yourself
At its heart, authenticity is about being true to you. It should go without saying, then, that achieving authentic leadership isn’t possible until you know who you are as a leader. By understanding both your strengths and opportunities, you’ll be better able to develop a leadership style which genuinely suits your needs and the needs of those with whom you work. If you’re best at working one-on-one with employees, for instance, this will come across as more authentic than whole-office meetings. Equally, recognizing your weaknesses through things like employee feedback would allow you to course correct mistakes for increased authenticity moving forward. That would never be possible until you took the time to observe opportunities associated with your leadership style as it stands today.
#2 - Opening communication
Open communication and transparency are often at the forefront of leadership coaching. And, they can also go a long way towards increasing leader authenticity. Continuous open communication ensures employees never feel as though you’re hiding or keeping something from them. If you simply share feedback as opportunity presents, team members can rest easy that they’re working to your requirements. That’s sure to lead to better authenticity than if you avoid confrontations or, worse, demanding other people do your bidding for you.
#3 - Sticking to your values
Last, and perhaps most important, is the significance of sticking to your values as a leader. Sadly, this is something far too many people neglect after accepting management roles. Yet, compromising on values is no way to genuine, authentic leadership. Instead, you need to recognize your principles and stick with them no matter the difficulty. By standing by your principles in this way, you can develop a clear roadmap for your employees—and that can lead to a more stable and authentic working environment for everyone.
Coaching questions for developing increased leadership authenticity
1. What do you need to do before you do anything else?
2. How do you normally sabotage yourself and what will you do differently this time?
3. What specifically will you ask your supporters to do for you?
4. How will you feel once you have completed your actions?
5. What do you fear most on this path to success?
Coach Chad | legacyleadership.coach | chad.blando@legacyleadership.coach