The Value of Authentic Leadership

As you move through the leadership learning process, which for the true leader is never ending, you will observe people who are authentic leaders and those who are not. Pay close attention to both and learn. The authentic leader is compassionate, self-reflective, confident and a true go getter. They are not afraid to take responsibility for their mistakes. And while they acknowledge a mistake they learn from it and fix it for the next time. With an authentic leader it is all about "we" and not "I". An authentic leader wants people to work "with" them. Many times there are great sacrifices taken by this leader that the employee will never know about. The idea that a leader would do whatever it takes to make sure that their team is taken care of is not something that they will openly admit unless absolutely necessary for the greater good of the organization.

The less than authentic leader will not always be visible at first. They will still accomplish great things and experience great success. Their teams will still experience success. The biggest difference in these types of leaders is the perception of illusion versus reality. The less than authentic will make themselves out to be more than who they really are. They will bring great ideas to the table but will expect someone else to carry them out. The attention of great successes will be drawn back to them while the failures of ideas are placed elsewhere. Less than authentic leaders will not utilize or fully utilize the skill sets and talents of the people that work "for" them. By doing this the leader will not have to worry about losing their "power." Or they might perceive that by allowing someone else to really shine that their fellow teammates will not respect them.

Some of the greatest leaders recognize that they know what they know and what they don't know. By building a team of people who are skilled in what the leader doesn't know, they are creating a successfully winning situation. You have to be confident in what you do, who you are and what your goals are but it is ok to be humble. It humanizes you to your team. Most authentic leaders don't want to just be the boss. They want to be a motivator, an inspiration, someone that others want to follow.

Of course in the end, you ultimately decide what type of leader you want to be. Even if upon reflection you realize you are being less than authentic, it's ok, there is still time to change and be an authentic leader.

If you enjoy reading these blogs, the best compliment is a referral through sharing on social media, visiting our website - www.buildingleadersforsuccess.com and of course, utilizing our live services.