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

Leadership Authenticity

5 Steps to Becoming A More Authentic Leader

A Simplified Approach

There are many opinions about what defines good leadership. A central tenant of these ideas focuses on authenticity and the need to thine own self be true. Typically, authentic leaders are uniquely genuine and share qualities that beget trust, take ownership for their failures or mistakes, and display a raw courage that affords them the natural ability to ask powerful questions at the right time. 

 Studies show that most employees believe that authenticity is the number one requirement for a leader. That’s no surprise considering that authenticity lets team members know what you’re expecting from them. Being authentic can also bring a level of personal connection essential to building trust and developing decent working relationships.

 Authenticity is important because it affords people an ability to link the purpose or why behind leadership and effective outcomes. Connecting a person’s unique combination of characteristics, traits, skills, and style to his experiences creates a foundation ripe for ownership and courage. 

Much of what makes a leader authentic are the things that come naturally. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be authentic, would it? However, some key factors can help enhance your authenticity and increase team effectiveness. 

 #1 - Always ask for feedback

 Feedback comes first. Self-examination of both strengths and weakness is the only way to authenticity. And, as a leader, you may find that employee feedback is the only way to get to the bottom of these things. By continuing to harness positive feedback, you can remain authentic to the things you do well. But, by also facing up to opportunistic comments, you can address weaknesses and overcome them in an authentic way. 

 #2 - Accept that no leader is an island

 Once you know your opportunities, it’s time to accept that no leader is an island. Admitting that you don’t have the tools you need to overcome these weaknesses on your own is vital. Otherwise, you may mistakenly adapt to cover these gaps in a way which isn’t true to you. Make sure that isn’t the case by getting help to implement authentic methods. A good tool for solutioning this would be to engage in leadership or executive coaching--both can help you raise awareness and develop authentic solutions. Equally, delegating the tasks you aren’t skilled in could help you to stay true while also meeting the needs of your team. 

#3 - Understand your values

 Values matter a lot to authenticity. These ensure you can develop a reliable and robust set of standards for your team. They can provide direction, as well as, ensuring that all-important authenticity in everything you do. Leadership coaching and self-reflection can help you realize your values. And, once you know what matters to you, you can apply it to everything you do. Then, whatever you do, be sure not to compromise those values with the management decisions you make. 

 #4 - Admit to your mistakes

 Authentic leaders must ALWAYS own mistakes and opportunities. Too often, managers either shift the blame or outright deny it if they do something wrong or mess-up. That’s because there’s a misguided assumption that holding your hands up is a sign of weakness. But, that’s not the case. Authenticity is, after all, about being human. And, humans occasionally make errors. Instead of shifting blame or outright denying things, it’s vital to leadership development you fess up and own your opportunities. This will garner much more respect from your team than any denial ever could. It also shows that you’re an authentic person who isn’t afraid to admit that you don’t know everything. 

 #5 - Be open and share your story

 That leads me to my last point, which is to be open and share your story. Like when we deny our mistakes, refusal to speak to our teams on a personal level compromises authenticity. How can your team know you’re being authentic, if they don’t know you? By sharing your story with team members, you can develop relationships for a whole new level of authenticity. Whether you tell them your life story, share your learnings, or outline your career journey, opening up can forge connections. And, connections are vital to fostering the collective array of perspectives, values, and principles necessary to navigate the complexities of a rapidly changing world.

Coaching Questions that Raise Awareness and Lead to Greater Authenticity

 1.    What am I good at doing?

2.    What feedback am I failing to action?

3.    What work outcomes make me the proudest?

4.    What am I learning that will help me or my team?

5.    If I could design the perfect job, what would it look like?

 Coach Chad | www.legacyleadership.coach | chad.blando@legacyleadership.coach