If serving is below you, then leadership is beyond you.

If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer! Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away.-Henry David Thoreau

Chicago is one city.We shall work as one people for our common good and our common goals.-(Frm.)Mayor of Chicago,Harold Washington

Authenticity requires a certain measure of vulnerability, transparency, and integrity, -Janet Louise Stephenson

Lately,the world seems at though it has taken a "turn (completely) upside down!"The Chicago Blackhawks had fired there three-time Stanley Cup Winning Septuagenarian Head Coach Joel Quinnville for a coach who is younger(33 years old),then a number of players on the team.The high-profile English Football Team,Arsenal had requested the resignation of the three time FA Championship Winning(also)Septuagenarian Manager(Arsene Wenger), for a 30 year old manager replacement.The Digital Age has (certainly)ushered in a whole slew of unprecedented historical changes!Upon reflexion,Steve Jobs and Tony Robbins have been revered/idolized as Modern Era Gurus.Steve Jobs and leadership?The highest unprecedented rise in our American History of Mental Illnesses,depression and suicides(since 2011's,introduction of the Smartphone)within America's Youth.Frankly speaking,teens are more depressed and isolated then ever because of Smartphones(Jean Twenge's Study,2018).Further,Steve Jobs had "restricted" the usage of the iPad and iPhone by his very own children!In addition,Jobs Management Style was described by(most) subordinates as autocratic,mercurial,seeking to intimidate and(frankly)"mean-spirited."As Dragnet from the popular 1970 Detective Drama had stated(repeatly) in a matter-of-fact fashion:Just the facts,ma'am.

Tony Robbin's Dallas "Performance"(recently) had over 30 attendees treated with medical care for injuries sustained as a result of walking over hot burning coals! I thought that was an ancient Medieval(ie. Hot Rat Coals Method)Torture Method? Hot coals,really? Are these examples of authentic "remarkable"leadership in which they have brought diverse groups together around a shared purpose(much)greater then there own self interests? I would argue(unequivocally)not!Bloomberg's had recent written an article titled:There is a perplexing "hole" in the "Hot" US Job Market.Millennial Males are "lagging behind" in entering the "Hot" American Workplace.Why,is that so? Bloomberg's concludes that one of the reasons was that a Full-Time Work Schedules had impeded upon "video game time." Life had certainty gotten(unpredictable)in these days of the Digital Age!

Where to look for examples of authentic leadership?Try reaching into our shared American History for(many)examples.Some of my(favorite)and recommended biographies include:Abraham Lincoln(Teams of Rivals:The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln-Doris Kearns Goodwin),Winston Churchill(William Manchester' Last Lion Three-Part Series and Andrew Roberts:Churchill-Walking With Destiny are(all) excellent reads),Susan B.Anthony(Failure Is Impossible-Lynn Scheer),Eleanor Roosevelt(Tomorrow Is Now,It is Today That We Must Create The World of the Future-Eleanor Roosevelt),Franklin Roosevelt(No Ordinary Time:Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt-Doris Goodwin),John F.Kennedy(A Thousand Days-Arthur Schlesinger Jr.),Martin Luther King Jr.(Clayborne Carson's The Autobiography of Martin Luther King Jr.),John McCain(John McCain:A Biography-Elaine Povich)and Harold Washington of Chicago(Fire in the Prairie: Chicago Politics and the Roots of the Obama Presidency-Gary Rivlin and The People's Mayor-Dempsey Travis) are(all)excellent "reads" on Genuine Leadership!

It was the late 1970's. You went to roller rinks. That's what kids your age did. The word tween did not exist yet. You were middle schoolers and high schoolers. You didn't have BFFs then. You had best friends - maybe three or four of them. Your parents drove you or you walked to the rink. If you were (really)lucky, they had borrowed you the families car for the night! 

This was the era of "boy-girl" parties. You had just started to date, or you wished you were dating. You tried to be cool, and either you were or you weren't. Your time at the rink was filled with freedom or angst, depending on who you were. You flew around the rink and did roller skating tricks,or you held on to the railing and inched your way around, hoping not to bite it! There was so much going on: the music, the lights, the smells, the feelings!Personally,I have fondly recalled skating with Michelle and other Young Ladies during Couples Only-Skates with a "racing heart" and feeling as though my knees would quickly "give-out" like "wet spaghetti."I knew that my "primary mission" was get to the second or third date and introduce the Young Lady over a dinner engagement to my Charismatic and Charming US Army World War 11 Grandfather who would(greatly)mentor me in the "Art of Charming" Young Ladies and overcoming my teenage fears! It was all so late 1970's!It was all so specific! I will never forget it!

The Roller Rink was a place were kids could get away from there parents and create a world of there own were they could have "fun" and "make-out" in the back seats of there parent's car.I will certainly never forget the excitement of making a request at the DJ Booth,the Disco Rhythms,experiencing the near-seizure inducing light effects and having "butterflies" in my stomach(on most occasions) after asking a Young Lady to skate during a "Couples Only- Slow Skate!I would(strongly)argue that these authentic Emotional Intelligence Developmental Experiences had equipped(most of us)with the necessary Emotional Intelligence IQ and confidence in which to tackle the challenges in which life would later bring!Unfortunately,Millennials and iGens who have been raised in the Digital Age are(simple)not getting the opportunities to learn from these amazing types of experiences!

We are(simply) awash in technology! It’s estimated that 98% of Americans now(regularly) use cell phones or wireless devices!And two-third of those people are using so-called smartphones!Over 83% of American Teenagers own an iPhone with daily usage averaging nine hours(Common Sense Media,2018)!

In other words, most of us spend our days walking around with our noses buried in our Android Devices, iPhones, etc.And while we’re doing that, we’re tuning out the people who are actually in the same room as us!We seem to have long ago crossed the line as to where doing this stuff is "Ok"-even appropriate — people take calls while they’re out to dinner, text or check social media sites while on a date,"type-away" on there phones while interacting with another person,you name it!Some experts say it’s time to take a "step-back" and reassess.Certainly,things have gone to far! They’re reminding people that technology can be turned off, and that it’s important to connect with people in person!They worry that kids won’t know what it’s like to share a story or actually look someone in the eyes!And that’s sad! And the data suggest that they are(unequivocally)correct!What ever happened to the development of Emotional Intelligence?Being able to "read a situation" and react correctly,"street smarts"?

There’s an enormous amount of research suggesting that emotional intelligence (EQ) is critical to your performance at work.In a recent study(Telehaus,2018) which tested the EQ of more than a million people and found that it explains 58% of success in all types of jobs.People with high EQs make $30.000 more annually than people with low EQs. Ninety percent of top performers have high EQs, and a single-point increase in your EQ adds $1,300 to your salary.Emotional intelligence won’t do a thing for you if you aren’t genuine!

Another recent study conducted by the Foster School of Business at the University of Washington(Emotional Intelligence,2017) found that people don’t accept demonstrations of emotional intelligence at face value. They’re too skeptical for that. They don’t just want to see signs of emotional intelligence. They want to know that it’s sincere—that your emotions are authentic.Studies have found that sincere leaders are far more effective at motivating people because they inspire trust and admiration through their actions, not just their words. Many leaders say that being authentic is important to them, but genuine leaders walk their talk every day.For example,(Former)Mayor Harold Washington had implored Chicagoans to "be heard and speak-out"by initiating Community Town Hall Meetings(which had included the "Top Brass"of The Administration)throughout Chicago in order to receive input from(each of)the communities on planning for the upcoming annual City Budget.Often times,the requests received from within the communities were included within the Cities Budget.It’s not enough to just go through the motions, trying to demonstrate qualities that are associated with emotional intelligence. You have to be genuine.You can do a "gut check" to find out how genuine you are by comparing your own behavior to that of people who are highly genuine. Consider the hallmarks of genuine people and see how you stack up!

Authentic people don’t try to make people like them. Authentic people are who they are. They know that some people will like them, and some won’t. And they’re okay with that. It’s not that they don’t care whether or not other people will like them but simply that they’re not going to let that get in the way of doing the right thing!For example,Abraham Lincoln had endured thousands of numerous death threats and ridicule throughout the Civil War and while seeking the passage of the Emancipation Proclamation(Proclamation 95)!Genuine Authentic Leaders are willing to make unpopular decisions and to take unpopular positions if that’s what needs to be done!Winston Churchill had implored the House of Commons to "take action"in stopping the build-up of armaments by Adolph Hitler and the Nazi Party in a speech delivered on November 16th,1934.It had fallen on "deaf ears."Churchill had continued as an "outcast" by imploring the House of Commons(over the next six years)to take action in stopping the build-up of armaments by Adolph Hilter and the Nazi Party!Finally,Churchill had never(unlike,Prime Minister's Ramsey MacDonald,Stanley Balwin or Neville Chamberlain)favored appeasement with the Demonstrative Adolph Hitler and the Nazi Party!

Since authentic people aren’t desperate for attention, they don’t try to show off. They know that when they speak in a friendly, confident, and concise manner, people are much more attentive to and interested in what they have to say than if they try to show that they’re important. People catch on to your attitude(quickly)and are more attracted to the right attitude than what or how many people you know!Authentic People don’t pass judgment. Authentic people are open-minded, which makes them approachable and interesting to others. No one wants to have a conversation with someone who has already formed an opinion and is not willing to listen!Having an open mind is crucial in the workplace, as approachability means access to new ideas and help. To eliminate preconceived notions and judgment, you need to see the world through other people’s eyes! This doesn’t require you to believe what they believe or condone their behavior; it simply means you quit passing judgment long enough to truly understand what makes them tick. Only then can you let them be who they are.

Genuine People forge their own paths. Genuine people don’t derive their sense of pleasure and satisfaction from the opinions of others. This frees them up to follow their own internal compasses. They know who they are and don’t pretend to be anything else. Their direction comes from within, from their own principles and values. They do what they believe to be the right thing, and they’re not swayed by the fact that somebody might not like it.(Frm.) Senator John McCain backed gun control and voted for liberal positions on immigration,even though they were unpopular in Arizona.He was(certainly)a stubborn maverick!

Genuine People are generous. We’ve all worked with people who constantly hold something back, whether it’s knowledge or resources. They act as if they’re afraid you’ll outshine them if they give you access to everything you need to do your job. Genuine people are unfailingly generous with whom they know, what they know, and the resources they have access to. They want you to do well more than anything else because they’re team players and they’re confident enough to never worry that your success might make them look bad. In fact, they believe that your success is their success!

They treat everyone with respect. Whether interacting with their biggest clients or servers taking their drink orders,authentic genuine people are unfailingly polite and respectful!They understand that no matter how nice they are to the people they have lunch with, it’s all for naught if those people witnesses them behaving badly toward others. Genuine people treat everyone with respect because they believe they’re no better than anyone else.

They aren’t motivated by material things. Genuine people don’t need shiny, fancy stuff in order to feel good.They don't require a foreign convertible to fend-off the feelings of Middle Age!Their happiness comes from within, as well as from the simpler pleasures—such as friends, family, and a sense of purpose—that make life rich!

They are trustworthy. People gravitate toward those who are genuine because they know they can trust them. It is difficult to like someone when you don’t know who they really are and how they really feel. Genuine people mean what they say, and if they make a commitment, they keep it. You’ll never hear a truly genuine person say, “Oh, I just said that to make and event or meeting go faster.” You know that if they say something, it’s because they believe it to be true.

They are thick-skinned. Genuine people have a strong enough sense of self that they don’t go around seeing offense that isn’t there. If somebody criticizes one of their ideas, they don’t treat this as a personal attack. There’s no need for them to jump to conclusions, feel insulted, and start plotting their revenge. They’re able to objectively evaluate negative and constructive feedback, accept what works, put it into practice, and leave the rest of it behind without developing hard feelings.

They put away their phones! Nothing turns someone off to you like a mid-conversation text message or even a quick glance at your phone!Plainly speaking,it is always rude.When genuine people commit to a conversation, they focus all of their energy on the conversation. You will find that conversations are more enjoyable and effective when you immerse yourself in them. When you(robotically)approach people with small talk and are tethered to your phone, this puts their brains on autopilot and prevents them from having any real affinity for you.Rudeness is the appropriate term for this type of gesture.Genuine people create connection and find depth even in short, everyday conversations!Their genuine interest in other people makes it easy for them to ask good questions and relate what they’re told to other important facets of the speaker’s life.

They aren’t driven by ego. Genuine people don’t make decisions based on their egos because they don’t need the admiration of others in order to feel good about themselves. Likewise, they don’t seek the limelight or try to take credit for other people’s accomplishments. They simply do what needs to be done without saying, “Hey, look at me!”They aren’t hypocrites. Genuine people practice what they preach. They don’t tell you to do one thing and then do the opposite themselves. That’s largely due to their self-awareness. Many hypocrites don’t even recognize their mistakes. They’re blind to their own weaknesses. Genuine people, on the other hand, fix their own problems first.

They don’t brag. We’ve all worked with people who can’t stop talking about themselves and their accomplishments. Have you ever wondered why? They boast and brag because they’re insecure and worried that if they don’t point out their accomplishments, no one will notice. Genuine people don’t need to brag. They’re confident in their accomplishments, but they also realize that when you truly do something that matters, it stands on its own merits, regardless of how many people notice or appreciate it.Genuine people know who they are. They are confident enough to be comfortable in their own skin. They are firmly grounded in reality, and they’re truly present in each moment because they’re not trying to figure out someone else’s agenda or worrying about their own.So,this Holiday Season host a party by requiring that your guests "check there phones in at the door."The data certainly reflects that it is in the best interest of your Young American that you moderate there iPhone usage to a "reasonable" level each day.And if you seek to be viewed as a leader who is genuine,utilize these simple,common sense examples on genuineness.Cheers!