Authentic Leadership - What It Means For You
Over the course of the next three posts here on Effective Retail Leader I will look at the topic of Authentic Leadership. We will dive into what it is, why it’s important and how you can apply it to yourself.
What is Authentic Leadership?
Authenticity is driven by one’s actions. Integrity is a crucial part of what authentic leadership is all about. The best common starting point may be the question, do I do what I say I am going to do? Beyond that here are a couple of other thoughts on what authentic leadership means.
Being Yourself
That is the purest way to look at what being authentic is. Are you true to yourself and your beliefs? If you always tow the company line, then people will see you as a ‘Company person’ not necessarily someone they trust or want to follow blindly. Your team wants to know you have your own thoughts. They want to believe in what you believe. Connecting to and with the people you work with each day is a key component of leadership. You need to be more connected to your team than to the processes that you work with each day. The team needs to feel your support above all else. That level of leadership is not only authentic, it is highly effective.
Being Predictable and Consistent
The flavor of the month is perfect for the ice cream shop, but not for productivity and long-term success at work. If you are authentic, you will not constantly change your mission or purpose. That does not mean you cannot make adjustments along the way. It simply means that you are not sweeping from one thing to another on a daily basis. People want someone they can count on to lead them. Constant change creates concern and fear. It does not allow people to get into their own rhythm for producing high-quality work.Related to this is your passion for what you are working on. Your team is looking for your level of commitment. They will measure your words and actions together. If you are saying one thing and then doing another, they will not trust you. If, however, you believe in your message and passionately follow that day in and day out they will follow your lead. The consistency that will come from a passionate belief in something allows everyone to have a long-term approach to the work. People will develop ideas more deeply, work harder on projects, and delivery a higher quality output because they know that this is something that will stick. If there is constant change and inconsistency, people will provide the minimum output necessary for fear of working on something that will no longer be valid.
Supporting your team
A big part of being authentic in your team’s eyes is supporting them as you have agreed to. They need to know that you have their back and that you will defend your beliefs that your team has subscribed to. If they see you back down when challenged from a higher level, their commitment will wane because you have not been true to your word. When a change of course is necessary - explain it. Share your thoughts on what the change means and why it’s an important shift. Connect it to what you had been doing previously. This is where being transparent is paramount. Everyone understands that change will happen. Ideas shift, even your own point of view may be adjusted based on new information. Tell your team that. Share why you have shifted and allow them to understand and agree to the new direction.This is a look at what authentic leadership is. In the next article, I will look at why authentic leadership is important and the value it brings to you as a leader.Share your thoughts on what authentic leadership means to you in the comments.