Are you embracing authentic leadership?

Recent travels across Australia and Japan have given me opportunities to engage with all different kinds of leaders across different organisations and industries, all with their own unique ways of leading. It’s always interesting to see other leaders tackle the challenges that come their way. One thing that remains true across all of these different settings is that authentic leaders come out on top, every time. 

What is authenticity in leadership? 

Being authentic is all about embracing who you really are, keeping genuine as you lead, not trying to be someone you’re not. 

A great example of how a lack of authenticity can impact your leadership is thinking back to a time when you may have needed to read out a speech. Someone who might struggle to embrace their natural style may write down their speech and read it word for word. 

The result might be a speech that has good content, but because it’s not natural in delivery lacks heart and relatability. 

Someone who is keen to embrace their natural style might write their speech out in dot points so they stay on track, but keep it loose in structure, share their personal stories and allow their natural way of speaking and knowledge on the subject to take over. Their speech will inevitably flow better and instil a sense of trust in their audience. 

Authentic leaders win over teams 

When your team understands your natural style and sees authenticity at play, trust increases. It’s as simple as understanding that your words and your actions match up, that there isn’t a facade between you and your team. 

And, like any approach that increases trust, your authenticity will help your team to pay more attention to what you say. Not only that, but your customers and clients will listen to you as your authority and authenticity complement each other. 

It may sound like a buzzword, but authenticity is the foundation on which to build the rest of your leadership skills. When you act genuinely, everything else falls into place. 

Finding the balance between authenticity and learning from others 

It’s essential to look to other leaders to understand their practice, what works well and what you can adopt in your own leadership. It’s the best way to grow and evolve your leadership. 

Learning from others doesn’t need to come at the expense of your own authenticity as a leader. 

The key to striking the balance is to understand the mechanics of what other leaders are doing before applying it to our own leadership and doing it in a way that you find comfortable. If you try to be a carbon copy of a leader you admire, you may be approaching leadership in a way that goes against your natural style, even if you don’t realise it. You might be trying to be someone – a certain kind of leader – that you’re not. 

Doing things a little differently from what you observed is okay, even if you’re nervous to put your own spin on things. Your authenticity will far outweigh your accuracy in replication. 

Want to embrace authenticity in your leadership? People Make the Difference can help. To find out more, visit www.pmtd.com.au or call us on 0412 333 415. Try our online leadership training videos – $99 for complete access. Great value if you’re committed to growing your leadership potential.