Breakfast at Tiffany's - A Portrait in Authentic Leadership that should captivate us all...

Audrey Hepburn's work with UNICEF as a Goodwill Ambassador is testament to her profound commitment to humanitarian causes, marking a significant chapter in her life post-Hollywood stardom. She brought attention to the severe conditions facing children and their families in some of the most deprived areas in the world by using her powers of persuasion and relationship building that was evident and portrayed by Holly (Audrey) in the film Breakfast at Tiffany's.

Can we learn anything about leadership from the film? Sure we can. My painting (above) captures her reflective mood and is a tribute to all those less known Leaders who are selfless and go the extra mile. There are many.

Holly in the story, initially, hides behind a carefully crafted facade, but as the story unfolds, she becomes more open and vulnerable. This reflects the transparency aspect of authentic leadership—being honest about one’s feelings and experiences and accepting of our own vulnerability as part of the journey.

Being authentic means being honest and true to yourself, this is an awakening - being aware of other people's feelings as well as your own. How can you adjust your own feelings to accommodate and respect other people's fears?

Holly’s willingness to finally be vulnerable and open up about her fears and desires is akin to how authentic leaders operate, fostering trust and deeper connections. this is Authentic Leadership.

Holly’s ability to influence those around her mirrors important leadership qualities. Her charisma isn’t just superficial; it reveals an innate ability to connect with a diverse range of people, from her neighbour Paul to the wealthy visitors who attend her parties. Effective leaders, like Holly, influence others not through authority but through charisma and the ability to engage with people on different emotional levels. She had what we call, Emotional Intelligence - the ability to empathise, adapt and relate to other people's needs. Her resilience in facing social and emotional upheavals parallels the adaptability required in leadership.

Leaders must navigate through uncertainties and setbacks, adjusting their strategies and approaches while maintaining their core values (sometimes cool), much like Holly adapts to her changing circumstances, emotions and relationships.

Holly leads her life and influences those around her without any formal authority. This reflects a better understanding of leadership, which sees influence as more effective when it is personal and relational rather than hierarchical. its underlying themes offer a lens through which to view leadership in terms of personal growth, adaptability, influence, and emotional intelligence.

Holly's character evolution provides a narrative on how personal transformation can reflect broader leadership principles, particularly the power of authenticity and emotional connectivity.

Authentic Leadership

Authentic leadership is a style of management that emphasizes the importance of being genuine and transparent in one’s approach to leading others. It involves leaders being deeply aware of their own values, beliefs, and strengths, as well as their limitations, and leading from a place that aligns with their true selves.

This includes self-awareness - awareness of ones own emotional balance in terms of strengths, weaknesses and values. To be authentic ones needs a sense of self and understanding ethics in relationships.

Leaders not only promise something - but follow through.

In practice, an authentic leader might regularly share their thought processes behind major decisions, openly discuss their failures and what they've learned, or consistently act according to the core values they espouse, even when doing so might lead to tough choices or short-term disadvantages.

Overall, authentic leadership is not just about being true to oneself but also about being respectful and responsive to others’ needs and values. This leadership style is particularly effective in today’s diverse and dynamic work environments, where trust and transparency are highly valued.

Holly through the lens of authentic leadership reveals her journey toward becoming more genuine and aligned with her inner self, much like a leader cultivates authenticity in others. This approach enhances her influence and relationships, ultimately leading her to make choices that reflect her true values. I meet people like her every day, they are all on an amazing journey.

These six elements sum up the learning...processes that we adopt in Systems Thinking and Awakened Intelligence. These apply to all Awakened Leaders throughout the world - many unsung heroes who care about the welfare of our young people - I truly wish I could name them all here, but alas there would not be enough space - but those people know who they are, the ones that go the extra mile for no reward - yes you - many I have met - the Authentic Leaders who pray and take action to create a better world - here are just some of them in hherf.org and of course many more in unicef.org and unesco.org to name a few. The institutions below, all have Authentic Leaders and I am proud to be part of their journey...??

1. Self-awareness: Leaders are aware of their own strengths, weaknesses, and biases. They continuously strive for personal growth and improvement.
2. Mindfulness: Leaders practice staying present and focused, helping them make more thoughtful decisions and manage stress in a better way.
3. Empathy: They prioritize understanding and addressing the emotional and professional needs of their team members, fostering a supportive work environment through psychological safety and effective well-being.
4. Ethical action and integrity: Awakened leaders act with honesty and uphold strong ethical standards, aligning actions with their values.
5. Visualisation and inspiration: They communicate a clear and compelling vision, inspiring their teams to engage deeply with their work and the broader goals of the organization.
6. Creativity leads to Innovation - and being prepared with appropriate Awakened Leadership helps with insightful decision-making.

Authentic Leadership can lead to more motivated, engaged, and productive teams, aligning well with expectations of empathic and effective leadership.

Emotional Intelligence and Authentic Leadership allied to Systems Thinking makes for a profound understanding of interconnectedness and help to make sustainable and better decisions for the health, education and well-being of Humanity. We champion Innovation; systems thinking, emotional intelligence and authentic leadership for All who seek a better future for our children.

see systemicinnovators.org

We are proud to serve many of these institutions. we care passionately about Health, Well-being and Education

We have been privileged to meet many Authentic Leaders on our journey

John Rainford is Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer for hherf.org

moonshotechs.com - please ask for more information on systems thinking and project-based learning for young people

John is Chief Imagination Officer for learnwithleaders.com

John is a Global Change Leader for aniedehecarefoundation.org

meditationalstate.com is a YouTube channel - a meditation channel that supports mental health and well-being with over 57 million views and is completely free to use. Please subscribe - completely free.

Feel free to email me [email protected] if you wish to talk about how we might change the world for the better and create more...

Authentic Leaders ??

We are working to change the world with Authentic Leaders in Africa, South America, the United States, the Middle East and India.

Hope you like my painting's and my theatre photograph ??