Authentic Leadership

Becoming a Leader People Want to

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Do people want to follow you?

You've probably heard of "authentic leadership." Books,

leadership courses, and entire businesses have been built
around this idea. But it's often easier to identify authentic
leaders than it is to define what makes them that way.

So what do the words "authentic leader" actually mean?

What makes a leader authentic, and why is it worth the
effort?

There are many different answers to these questions. In

this article, we'll discuss why authenticity is so important,
and we'll examine the different characteristics that make
someone authentic as a leader.

Why Authentic Leadership?

Leadership today is very different from leadership in
previous generations. The old "top-down" style of
management just doesn't work anymore. People generally
want to be fully engaged, and committed to what they're
doing. They want to feel as if their work matters. And they
want to believe in the people who are in charge.

Because of these higher expectations, it's vital for leaders

to know how to inspire passion and confidence in the
people they're leading. When people work alongside a
truly authentic leader, they'll often give their whole hearts
and minds to the cause. In these situations, a spirit of
teamwork and loyalty can spread throughout an
organization, resulting in high morale and producing
extraordinary results.

We are all inspired by different traits, actions and

characteristics, but names that feature regularly on lists of
authentic leaders, past and present, include the late civil
rights leader Martin Luther King Jr, former Apple CEO
Steve Jobs, and former U.S. President Barack Obama.

Authentic leaders inspire trust in their teams. People are

more willing to be open about problems, which means
that those problems are more likely to get fixed, instead of
being ignored.

What Is Authentic Leadership?

So, authentic leadership can inspire people to pull
together, work hard, and communicate. But how do you
lead in an authentic way? What does this involve?

There's no easy answer to these questions, because

authenticity can mean many different things and involve a
wide range of skills, actions, and behaviors. At its root,
however, authentic leadership is all about behaving with
integrity, and being consistent.

For example, authentic leaders inspire those they lead

because they stay true to their own values. They know
who they are, and they don't let anyone keep them from
making a decision that they know is right. They have
integrity and a firm moral code, and they manage to stay
sensible and stable even during the most difficult times.

How to Lead Authentically

The path to this type of leadership is not straight and well-
defined. As we said earlier, it involves many different skills,
traits and actions. But, by focusing on some of the most
common characteristics, you can start down your own
path toward authentic leadership.

Let's look at some main themes – ethics, power,

communication, and the organization – and examine how
you could start developing these on your own.

Ethics

Authentic leaders are ethical leaders. They've identified

their ethical codes, and they never compromise on what
they believe to be right and wrong.

If you'd like some help identifying your own ethics and

values, our article Ethical Leadership is a great starting
point; and our Book Insight into "Winners Never Cheat" by
Jon Huntsman reviews a book that shows why being
ethical matters so very much.

Power

All leaders have power. But authentic leaders know how to

use the right kind of power – for the good of the group,
and for the goal that needs to be achieved.

There are several different kinds of power. One type is

expert power. When you have expert power, your team
looks up to you because of your skills, knowledge and
experience. Learn how to build and use this type of power
with our article on Expert Power.

Authentic leaders also use the power of example. When

leaders do as they say, they gain the respect and
admiration of their teams. Learn more about this in our
article, Leading by Example.

Authentic leaders don't just know what type of power to

use in a given situation. They also understand power –
where it comes from, and how to use it to get things done.
Our article on French and Raven's Five Forms of Power
explores the various different types of power in the
workplace, and explains how to use the good forms and
avoid the bad.

Communication

Authentic leaders are excellent communicators. They use

a number of different communication strategies to pass
along their values, inspire their teams, and give clear
instructions.

They may use storytelling as an effective way to

communicate an important message. Stories can inspire a
team to work harder – and, when done right, stories can
change an entire corporate culture by creating
"legends." Our article on Business Storytelling shows you
how to start telling great stories in your organization.

Communication requires "give and take." Authentic

leaders understand that the world isn't just about them,
and they listen actively to other people and accept good
advice, no matter where it comes from or who gives it.

Good communication also involves feedback. It can be

incredibly difficult for leaders to get the feedback they
need to improve (no one wants to tell the CEO that his
idea stinks!). But authentic leaders work hard to create a
culture of open communication. They know they are not
perfect, and they hire people who are willing to tell them
so.

Our article, How to Handle Criticism, can help you to

improve in this areas.

The Organization

We've probably all seen leaders who only look out for
themselves, instead of their organization and the people
they're leading. Authentic leaders, however, never forget
that they have an enormous responsibility. They put their
companies and their people first.

A leader's goals should be aligned with company goals.

When these two areas are not aligned, the focus becomes
divided. Learn more about aligning your goals with your
organization's goals in our article on Management By
Objectives.

Authentic leaders also know what truly drives their

companies and their teams.

Why is this important? Well, if you don't know the drivers

that are key to performance, then you'll probably never
find out what's wrong when your company or team isn't
"working." The Congruence Model can help you to
discover the four key components of your organization,
and to make sure that they're aligned for success.

Tip:

Read Bruna Martinuzzi's article The Talisman of

Leadership – Authenticity for a discussion of authentic
leadership, based on emotional intelligence.
Key Points

Authentic leadership involves a lot of different things. And

developing the skills and characteristics needed is a
journey, not a destination.

Authentic leaders are often easier to recognize than to

define, but they all have a few traits in common. They
know themselves well, and they never allow someone else
to cause them to break their moral codes. They put their
companies and their teams first, they're excellent
communicators, and they know how to use the right kind
of power for the right situation.