Lead with Courage and Authenticity

What is the image that you convey to others? Are you true to yourself, or do you adopt a whole new persona when interacting with others? Often, we don’t want people to see the real us. We choose to be something else that we deem to be more acceptable to others.

This is a topic that has often been raised in groups or at seminars I’ve attended concerning diversity and inclusion and leadership. Psychological warfare often undermines career success because it is engrained in Conscious and Unconscious Biases, which we face internally as well as in our external environments. How do you know whether your view of authenticity is genuinely accepted in today’s corporate world?

Courage is a prerequisite for authenticity and a trait that will push you out of your comfort zone.

An expert on this topic whom I look up to, Margie Warrell, Best-selling author, Forbes Columnist and Global Thought Leader in Human Potential and Brave Leadership, states: “Courage is a prerequisite for truly great leadership.” I couldn’t agree more.

Margie’s reason rings true on why this is essential, stating: “Because unless leaders are willing to lay their psychological safety (i.e., pride and power) on the line for the sake of those they serve, no amount of brilliance or showmanship will suffice.”

The word authentic originates from ancient Greek philosophy, derived from the phrase authentikos which means genuine or principle. Authentic leadership is, therefore, based on being honest and guided by a set of beliefs and values.

Authentic leadership is based on transparency, integrity, and trust. Leadership scholars have suggested the components of leadership as:

1.      Self-awareness

2.      Rational transparency

3.      Balanced processing

4.      Internalized moral perspective (Gardner, Avolio, Luthans, May, & Walumbwa, 2005).

Self-awareness

These components show that authentic leaders are self-aware and have self-regulation, which enables their internal values to reflect on their behavior.  The better you understand yourself, the more you accept yourself for who you are, the good and the flaws. Once you have accepted yourself, you are not afraid to show your true self to others. Self-acceptance gives you courage and confidence. No one can use your flaws to bring you down. When you have true self-understanding, you let others see you for who you are without the fear of being judged. You can know yourself and not feel the need to change yourself. You can be genuine with others and still stay true to yourself. One such leader is Oprah Winfrey, who has been open about her traumatic childhood. She has reached a point of self-awareness whereby she’s not afraid to show her real self to the world.

Rational transparency

Authentic leaders are not afraid to admit their mistakes. Their transparency helps build relationships of trust and honesty. They freely share their strengths and weaknesses with others. World-known businessman Warren Buffet admitted that buying Berkshire Hathaway was his biggest mistake, ‘a 200-billion-dollar mistake’.

Balanced processing

Authentic leaders are open about their values and morals and share them freely. They are genuine in their communication and clearly communicate what they believe in. This kind of openness calls for courage. For example, Nelson Mandela was self-aware of the discrimination his people were facing under apartheid. He felt that it was not right, and even though it was dangerous, he stood for what was right and communicated his beliefs to help others achieve the same level of awareness and fight for their rights.

Strong moral codes

Authentic leaders have a strong moral code in such that they regulate their behaviors according to their moral values. As a result, they are genuine in their work and make ethical decisions. 

How do we know what it means to be truly authentic?

Professor Stephen Joseph, a registered coaching psychologist, writes about the qualities of authenticity. Humanistic psychologists also say that an authentic person can be judged by 7 common characteristics:

• Have realistic perceptions of reality
• Are accepting of themselves and other people
• Are thoughtful
• Have a non-hostile sense of humor
• Can express their emotions freely and clearly
• Are open to learning from their mistakes
• Understand their motivations

Do you want to be more authentic? You don’t have to put on a mask when interacting with others. You can achieve all you want by being yourself. You can know yourself without changing yourself. Knowing yourself, through self-awareness calls for courage to explore your inner self through introspection, without being afraid to confront all of you. Try to understand yourself. You will be surprised by how freeing it is to fully accept yourself without the need to hide behind a fa?ade.  

Source

Gardner, W. L., Avolio, B. J., Luthans, F., May, D. R., & Walumbwa, F. (2005). Can you see the real me? A self-based model of authentic leader and follower development. The Leadership Quarterly, 16(3), 343-372.