In the previous blog, we delved into the concept of authenticity and its benefits in leadership. This article will explore the key characteristics of being an authentic leader.
Here are a few traits of authentic leaders:
1. Vulnerability. Authentic leaders are unafraid to share their thoughts, feelings, and experiences honestly. They willingly expose themselves to emotional challenges but do so without compromising their credibility. For example, as a leader, you do not want to say to your team, “I want to do this job, but it’s scary, and I don’t know how.” That candor can backfire, and you can lose trust with people who want and need a confident leader. Instead, you can say, “I may not have all the answers, but I want to enlist your support as we move forward together. That approach creates team cohesion and invites the active participation of others.
2. Integrity. This is when your words are consistent with your deeds; otherwise, followers will never accept you as authentic. Great leaders embody their beliefs and live them unfailingly. As Ralph Waldo Emerson puts it, “what you do speaks so loudly, I can’t hear what you’re saying.” Words are superficial and prove who you want to be, while actions show who you are.
3. Be transparent and truthful. As Dostoyevsky wisely observed, “Above all do not lie to yourself, the man who lies to himself and listens to his own lie, comes to a point where he cannot distinguish the truth within him, or around him, so loses respect for himself and others. And having no respect, he seizes to live.” People are more trusting when transparency and congruency of who you are on the inside are the same as how you portray yourself to the world; there is no secrecy or mystery. When you operate with dishonesty, it can have a detrimental impact. Nietzsche’s mentor, Ludwig Feuerbach said, “I would rather be a devil in alliance with the truth than an angel in alliance with falsehood.” Speaking truthfully allows for a more stress-free existence.
4. Self-awareness. Authenticity begins with self-awareness: knowing who you are—your values, emotions, and competencies, as well as how others perceive them, are better equipped for success. A study at the Center for Creative Leadership found that self-awareness is the primary quality that distinguishes successful leaders. Moreover, research shows companies that employ professionals who exhibit high levels of self-awareness tend to perform better financially. By looking inward and engaging in self-assessment, we can gain a deeper understanding of our emotions, beliefs, and strengths and improve our perception of those held by others. Regular reflection practice is important, whether through meditation, prayer, mindfulness, thinking, writing, or taking long walks to clear one’s head. This allows us to step back from the whirlwind and set aside the preoccupation with task lists so the urgent does not take precedence over the important aspects of our lives. Also, we can ensure alignment with our values and a deeper understanding of how we live our lives and engage with the world around us. The more we know ourselves, the more authentic we can be.
5. Discipline. Being an authentic leader requires more than just building self-awareness—we need to put it into practice, which requires discipline. Making it a point to get feedback on our behaviors and being intentional about what we want to practice will help us.
6. Confidence and humility. Having self-confidence and being comfortable in our skin are essential. Knowing where we come from and who we are, and knowing how to use our backgrounds to build rapport with others. There is humility in connecting with all people. Albert Einstein once said, “I speak to everyone in the same way, whether he is the garbageman or the university president.” That statement reflects Einstein’s comfort with himself and his ability to be consistent in his various interactions.
7. Mission-driven & inspirational. Knowing your deeply held crucibles and true north will help you stay on track so you can lead yourself authentically. Similarly, a deep and abiding commitment to a company mission is integral to authentic leadership and business success. According to a recent survey by EY and Harvard Business Review Analytic Services, 89% of executives said a sense of collective purpose drives employee engagement, and 84% said it leads to tremendous success in transformational efforts. Some companies discover their mission early and others stumble upon it, but embracing a purpose will help with authenticity because it keeps you focused. When you help your followers believe the mission is worthy, they will fight for you.
6. Commitment to self-improvement. To become more effective at motivating and guiding others, authentic leaders need to first focus on bettering themselves. “Authentic leaders begin with the will and commitment within to work on themselves,” says Harvard Professor Nancy Koehn. Abraham Maslow endorses the concept of individuals striving for self-actualization, which is becoming more complete by pursuing personal growth and peak experiences and realizing their potential.
7. Balancing your internal understanding with your external feedback. Leaders go on an inner journey of understanding who they are and what they believe and then matching that with their actions. They also go on an outer trip, realizing that those actions have implications and will invite feedback from others.
We need a combination of listening to others’ opinions and having a strong enough understanding of who we are and what we want to be the final arbiters. In Robert Keagan’s stages of adult development, self-authoring is about defining who we are, instead of listening to others’ descriptions of us. We can distinguish the opinions of others from our thoughts and have an internal guide. The next level of advancement is self-transforming - where your sense of self is not tied to a particular identity or role but is constantly created through exploration. It is similar to the Buddhist concept of the evolving self. In the words of E.E. Cummings “to be nobody but yourself in a world that is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else - means to fight the greatest battle which any human being can fight; and never stop fighting.” When you do not trust a leader it’s because there’s a gap between what they espouse and what they do.
Authentic Leadership means different things to different people. While there are some common denominators, it is more about showing up in a way that lives your values and makes a positive difference in the lives of others.
Quotes of the day: “You can only find out what you actually believe (rather than what you think you believe) by watching how you act.” - Jordan Peterson
“Today you are you, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is youer than you. - Dr. Seuss
Q: What characteristics do you think are most important for developing your authenticity as a leader? Comment and share with us, we would love to hear!
The next blog in this series 3/4 will focus on how to be an authentic leader.
As a leadership development and executive coach, I work with leaders to explore what authentic leadership means to them and develop their style, contact me to explore this topic further.
