Authentic Leadership – Being Yourself at Work

Up until now no studies found the perfect profile of a leader, which means, that anyone, is able to inspire others.

Being authentic means being genuinely yourself and authenticity is what makes others trust you. No one can be authentic when trying to imitate someone else′s leadership style.

Studies show that authentic leaders are passionate for their purpose, they put their values into practice unfailingly while leading with their hearts and heads. Authentic leaders establish meaningful long-term relationships and have the self-discipline to get results.

Also, authentic leaders learnt to reframe their life stories and experiences, discovered their core leadership purpose and found out that by being authentic they were actually more effective.

Living an authentic and integrated life means to be yourself in different circumstances, at work, at home, with colleagues or family and this is important to build your sense of self and to feel comfortable in all settings. This means being genuinely you all the time.

Think for yourself:

-  What experiences had more impact on you and how did they transform you?

-  What values and principles are unshakable to you?

-  Are you able to be the same person in all aspects of your life?

-  What being authentic means to you?

- How can you develop your own authentic leadership?

In summary: respecting your values, living and working with purpose, being yourself in all different scenarios in life, will help you to live an integrated life that will inspire others and becoming an authentic leader. 

B. George, P. Sims, A. N. McLean, and D. Mayer. Harvard Business Review: Authentic Leadership