Global executive coach with more than 20 years’ experience in talent management, organizational development and diversity and inclusion.
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Self-awareness is one of the greatest gifts you have as a leader. When you hold a leadership position, you must always be aware of how you show up for your team through your thoughts, actions and words—regardless of the challenges you’re facing or the competing priorities you’re juggling.
Authentic leaders know who they are and what they are working to achieve, infusing everything they do with a sense of purpose. They embrace their strengths, admit to their shortcomings and inspire trust and commitment in their employees. They know how to best use their talents and ignite the talents of others.
Authentic leadership leads to positive outcomes for individuals, teams and organizations. Academic studies have shown that it is correlated with job satisfaction, organizational commitment and employee engagement. More than two-thirds (70%) of the variation in a team’s engagement is determined by the team’s manager, and engagement is linked with favorable performance indicators—such as customer ratings, lower turnover and higher profitability and productivity.
Becoming an authentic leader takes ongoing effort, but it doesn’t have to be difficult. On the contrary, when you tap into your authentic leadership, everything becomes easier. It doesn’t require a Herculean effort to make decisions. You learn to act in ways that are true to who you are, and you grow more confident in your values and goals. By communicating clearly, defining boundaries and staying consistent, you support others and hold yourself accountable.
Here are three actions you can take to embrace your authentic leadership style.
Communicate With Empathy
Authentic leaders connect their passion and purpose to every decision they make, even during stressful or uncertain times. They also communicate their vision and mission to the people they lead in a way that resonates with them.
Practice checking in regularly with your team members, not as another task on your to-do list but as an investment in your relationships. Show that you sincerely want to support their success and your intention isn’t just to hit a deadline or please your higher-ups. Before you follow up on a project with an employee, in person or via email or video chat, ask yourself: How can I make this more human?
Ask open-ended questions, and put your requests into context. Instead of saying, “Hey, how’s that project coming?” or worse, “Is that thing almost ready? We need to get it done by Friday,” reframe your message from a place of empathy. For example: “I know you're about halfway through this big project, and I wanted to see how things are progressing. Is anything standing in your way? What do you need for continued success, and how can I help?”
The important thing is to make it about them, not you. A self-centered approach will ultimately backfire, but when you support the individuals on your team, everyone wins.
Build Trust And Set Boundaries
To be an authentic leader, you need to trust yourself and gain the trust of others. Trust is not automatically granted to you because of your title or position; you have to earn it over time through your actions. How are you articulating your core focus to your team? Do they understand what your collective goals are? Does your approach consistently align with your values?
Be as transparent and truthful as you can with your team, while acknowledging that you won’t be able to share everything with them. Outline clear boundaries that are anchored in your principles, and take responsibility for your decisions.
Being a leader means stepping into tough situations with courage instead of fear. Learn to listen to feedback from your team—appreciating it for the gift that it is—before choosing your next course of action. Sometimes the right decision will be holding firm to your boundaries, other times it is being flexible and adapting to new circumstances. No one expects you to be perfect; when you are humble enough to recognize your own missteps, you will only increase the trust you are building with others.
Identify And Troubleshoot Problems
Authentic leaders aren’t afraid to face problems head on. Define the connections, handoffs and communication points in systems and identify any roadblocks that arise. Develop a playbook for success, and pay attention to signs that tell you something isn’t working. Are deliverables getting stalled? Are employees slow to execute projects? Are you encountering push-back or confusion from your team about next steps?
These forms of perceived resistance are indications that how you are communicating your vision and strategy is not resonating with your team. Instead of becoming frustrated or defensive in these situations, get curious. Ask what is driving their questions or opposition. Find out why they aren’t engaged. Show up with your strongest leadership skills, and ask: Help me understand what’s happening. What’s driving this?
Authentic leadership is an ongoing practice that benefits you, your employees and your organization as a whole. When you lead from our authentic self, from your heart as well as your head, you build trust and confidence, mitigate confusion and move your team closer to reaching your goals.
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