How can I be a more authentic leader?
[contact-form][contact-field label="Name" type="name" required="true" /][contact-field label="Email" type="email" required="true" /][contact-field label="Website" type="url" /][contact-field label="Message" type="textarea" /][/contact-form]This is the final part of a three part series on Authentic Leadership. If you missed the first two articles, What is Authentic Leadership? and Why is Authentic Leadership Important?, take a moment to read each of those before you begin here.Authentic you sounds great. You are sold on the idea, but what behaviors does it take to be an authentic leader?
Build a Foundation
Every platform needs a strong structure to build upon. Authenticity starts with defining the purpose for the team. They need to know why what they are doing is important. If you haven’t clarified that, it is difficult, if not impossible, for them to believe in how you are leading them to success. You will strengthen those beliefs in how you support the mission and the team on achieving their pieces of the puzzle. You need to support each of their roles in the bigger picture. Connect the dots for the team as you go. The more they can see how you have a plan for achieving the goal, the stronger the ties to you and the company will become.
Know Thy Self
This sounds easy, or maybe it sounds silly, but it is critical. We all have our own idiosyncrasies and areas of development that we need to be aware of. Knowing yourself will allow you to manage through and around that. You can seek support in areas that are not your strengths to ensure the team can succeed overall. There is nothing wrong in bringing in help from the team or outside to bolster areas you do not have the tools for. Ensure you have someone you trust to let you know when you may be veering off course on a message or level of support. Don’t be afraid to acknowledge the places you are seeking support on or areas that you may have stumbled on. Everyone has these moments and by acknowledging them, your team sees you as real.
Genuine and Caring
When you show support to team members they need to know you mean it. It cannot come across as giving something lip-service. Your words will be measured with your actions and the team will be the one to determine how genuine you appear. This cannot be faked. The team needs to know you care about their well-being. The best way to do this is to get to know them. What is important to them? What is going on in their life outside of work? Understand how those blend together. Caring for someone is more than just the words required at the time of an event. It is the follow-up, calling back to what you have already learned about them.
Open to New Ideas
You don’t know it all. Really. However, I bet with the collective thoughts of your team, you will have most bases covered. Opening the door for those ideas to be shared freely will set everyone up for the win. Encourage sharing. While not every idea will be a winner, the team needs to feel safe in offering up their thoughts. Someone may not have the best idea today, but next week they will. If you have shut them down previously, you’ll never get a chance to hear their best ideas later. Practice acknowledging ideas for the idea’s sake and keeping the door for sharing open at all times.
Consistency
Nothing will shut down authenticity faster than being inconsistent. If the team doesn’t know what to expect, they cannot fully engage with you. They will always be wondering which direction you are going in.The other piece to consistency is about what you believe. If you are constantly changing to fit someone else’s beliefs your team will never be able to believe in you. As discussed earlier, if they do not believe what you believe then you have not created an authenticity based relationship. Stay your course, maintain a level of predictability, and keep the communication flowing. When course changes are required, it is just a matter of updating the team. Don’t make wild fluctuations in direction and expect the team to be right behind you.As a leader you are always in a glass house, especially in today’s world. Think about how many stories you have seen on TV, read in books, or heard about online where someone makes a misstatement and they lose a lot, if not all of their credibility. You must always walk your talk. You must be willing to have the discussions with people, openly and honestly. You must be consistent in your words and actions. Always.More can and will be said on the subject of Authentic Leadership. This is a starting point to get an idea of what being an authentic leader means, why it is important, and some steps you can start taking to be more authentic in your leadership with your team. Authenticity builds trust more than anything else and trust is a cornerstone of effective long-term leadership success.What other examples of authentic behaviors have you seen in your experience? Click here or on the comments button above to share your thoughts.