Are You Leading with Authenticity?

Well, first of all, what does authentic leadership even mean?

 Simply put, leading with authenticity means you are self-aware, aligned in your values, and employing your strengths and talents to lead yourself and others.

 Because Integrated Whole-Self Leaders™ require authentic leadership, it needs us to "go deep" and look at ourselves and our behavior with honesty and without judgment. This can be tricky to master even in the best of times. 

Unfortunately, amid the turbulence of these trying times when authentic leadership is most needed, it may be even more challenging to cultivate. 

 I dwell on the possibilities. I believe it is possible.

Here's a look at four essential qualities authentic leaders possess. These are traits you can nurture and grow in yourself to start leading with more authenticity.

Self-Awareness

It all starts here. Yet, many leaders say they got a handle of this essential quality. If we accept that, like an iceberg, about 90% of what humans are made up of is hidden from view, there is still more self-awareness left on the table to tap into and grow. Ongoing development in self-awareness unlocks next-level potential is a key to the door to personal leadership development.  

Embracing and regulating emotions and ways of thinking (mindsets), is part of the journey. An Authentic Leader is real with themselves first, so they can show up confidently in their own skin. 

Defining your values and understanding your unique talents and strengths is so important to leading well. And you'd be correct in assuming it's equally important to know your triggers and opportunities for growth. Seek feedback regularly and practice thoughtful self-reflection to recognize your motives and actions better. It is not OK to lead via reactivity patterns of behaviors. Intentionality is part of a leader that leads well. 

 Striving to understand how people view the world with a different lens and how others may see (and experience) your behavior differently than you do, will improve the engagement of your team/followers. This is the basis of much misunderstanding and resentment - and the good news is, it can be overcome.

"To effectively communicate, we must realize that we are all different in the way we perceive the world and use this understanding as a guide to our communication with others."

-Anthony Robbins

And speaking of communication -- It's an essential skill for an Authentic Leader. It's said that the art of leadership is all about communication.

Authentic Communication

Clear, honest communication is a hallmark of authentic leadership. Leaders I coach take pride in being direct. They say, "this is who I am. I am transparent and direct." Yet in the name (or in the quest of) showing up authentic, often humans overuse this powerful characteristic and sabotage their intended outcome. Communication can be tailored and rooted in authenticity. Your voice needs to be heard. 

"Effective communication is 20% what you know and 80% how you feel about what you know."

-Jim Rohn

 What can help? Timing can make a difference. Be constructive when it's appropriate, but don't pull punches. Make it a goal to look for what is right in others as you actively listen. This is the first step to effective, authentic communication. And it makes it easier to offer genuine praise and feedback - often. 

 Foster, by modeling an environment where honest and respectful communication amongst team members is expected. Encourage those you lead to speak up when there is a problem by being an example of transparency.  

 And remember...

"The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place."

-George Bernard Shaw

 If there are a lot of different strengths on your team (and I hope there are), effective - interdependent - authentic communication must be trained, practiced, and nurtured. And remember, it's a journey, not a destination. Hitting the reset button by modeling a practice called forgiveness will be a leader's responsibility. You will be at the receiving end some day.

A Balanced Approach to Decision-Making via Integrated Whole-Self Discernment™

Leadership requires the ability to receive and consider viewpoints and input from other people before making a significant decision or choosing a plan of action. True authentic leadership takes this further. 

Have you ever been in the middle of making an important decision when someone told you to "follow your heart" as advice, or "what is your gut telling you?"

Science has revealed that the heart sends more messages to the brain than the brain does to the heart. – and these messages affect our motivation, emotions, and attention. Making a conscious decision to allow your head, heart, and gut to have a voice in your decision making is key to aligning with personal values and increased self-awareness. This is the basis for Integrated Whole-Self Discernment™, a strong process, and a framework that yields discernment on how to proceed in action led from whole-self authenticity.  

After integrating the advice from your head, heart, and gut, the bottom line is to pursue making decisions that align with your values, but be sure to seek out viewpoints different from your own to uncover new (potentially better) ways of seeing things. And very importantly, recognize your ideas and way of being will likely have implicit biases - be willing and open to addressing these. 

Consider your integrated discernment, and your perspective (rooted in how your strengths see the world) is like a puzzle piece. Look for other pieces to complement your processing when making decisions as a leader. 

 A Strong Moral Compass

Leaders who have strong ethical values are guided by their moral compass to lead with integrity and make decisions that benefit the whole rather than just themselves. This strong desire to do the right thing even in - and especially in - unfavorable circumstances, is a key trait authentic leaders possess.  

When your leadership style aligns with your values, and you are operating as your genuine self, you have more energy, peace of mind, and a sense of connection to purpose in your work and life.

We specialize in helping teams and organizations understand and implement practices that cultivate the power of interdependence.

The Wellsiliency™ Institute has developed a series of interdependent courses to comprehensively address the knowledge and skills leaders and teams need to build strengths-based values-driven performance cultures where all experience belonging.

Is cultivating a deliberate culture that leaves a lasting legacy of positive impact in the lives of others important to your organization?

Our institute has designed five program pillars to help leaders be well and lead well through a skill progression from Whole-self Intelligence™ integration to boost resilience and confidence, strengths-based wellbeing, strengths-based team building, strengths-based leadership, and psychological safety to unleash collaboration.

We don't believe in providing superficial programs; instead, we strive to become your collaborative partner by equipping your leaders with the skills they need to create meaningful, enduring outcomes. Our ultimate goal is to help you build a legacy of leadership excellence that will make a real difference in your organization's success.

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