Acting is a necessary part of professionalism in work, that is indisputable. Especially as a manager or leader, where the stakes are high and so are the number of eyes looking at you. Some of the best actors on the planet are leaders of our nation. Authentic leadership is about more than exposing your individual quirks, it’s about having sincerity in your approach and exceptional levels of integrity.
This is all to facilitate a steady level of trust and openness throughout your organisation and it’s culture.
Otherwise described as ‘faking it ‘til you make it’, acting in a role can stem from feelings of Imposter Syndrome. A persona or mask is useful in this way as it can help you display qualities that you don’t always carry with yourself everyday. However, when taken too far and used only to gain approval or meet expectations, acting can distance the individual away from absorbing any criticism or rejection.
If we only ever present our ‘false self’ to the world, then any fear of criticism or rejection can be swept aside and our authentic, vulnerable self is protected from judgement by others.
As the term, authenticity, has become more popular in the last couple of years, it has become conflated with presenting outwardly as different. Rather than it coming to reflect our inner worlds, as a trend, a lot of time and resources get poured into authenticity and presenting differently.
Really, authenticity is what happens when you uphold your true self in life and at work. It is what adds the extra spice when we say lead by example. Research has found that feeling authentic in the workplace leads to better performance, higher levels of wellbeing and better engagement within your role.
Refine your Authentic Leadership By:
- Problem solving with curiosity over defensiveness
“Curiouser and curiouser!”
Does that quote ring a bell? These famous words of wisdom from Alice In Wonderland perfectly sum up the approach needed to quickly and accurately solve problems that occur in life and in work.
Difficult situations, mistakes and trouble shooting are inevitable. Instead of being defensive, ask ‘Why?’ and ‘How?’. Approach every situation like a doctor.
a) Examine the problem.
b) Diagnose.
c) Investigate the root cause.
D) Eliminate the problem from recurring or growing any further.
This is also a very beneficial way of perceiving feedback. Constructive feedback, at its core, is a gift. We can never be perfect, but we can be better. We must be able to separate ‘personal’ from ‘professional’ to be able to accurately incorporate feedback into our growth journeys.
- Developing Self-Awareness
The most fundamental factor to being authentic is developing your self-awareness. By understanding your strengths and weaknesses, you can play to these to be the best you possibly can within your role. The most effective way to do this is through listening to feedback or undertaking psychometric testing – understand what motivates you, what values are important to you, and what makes your character unique.
Brenda Booth, a professor of Management, once said: “The cornerstone of authenticity is self-awareness. It is about being comfortable in your own skin so you can lead the organisation in a way where you do not feel ethically compromised.”
Rather than being compelled to be characteristically outgoing and make bold speeches to the masses, if you’re more of an introvert, make that work for you – connect with employees one-on-one or in smaller groups. Add that personal touch to your leadership style and use your personality to your advantage.
- Identifying a Role-Model
If you’re struggling with your authenticity, find someone within the company who behaves in line with their true self. You can assess how they react to certain situations and incorporate this into your own leadership style.
You could also identify a mentor within the business – someone who you are completely comfortable with and who you can be your authentic self around. Compare how you behave around them versus the times when you feel you’re being inauthentic. It will help you to understand ways that you can be truer to yourself.
- Forming a Connection
Regardless of whether you’re speaking to a large crowd of people or speaking to an individual, it’s important that you’re able to form a connection. Ensure that your actions match your words and that you’re not putting a ‘spin’ on things.
Take time to find out what makes people tick and ensure that you match your leadership style to their personality and behaviour preferences.
- Empowering Those Around Them
Leaders are able to create a culture of trust and loyalty within their team. By having your team on your side, you’ll be able to feel more comfortable with being your authentic self. On top of this, your team members will be inspired to step up and take on greater and greater challenges with the support of their leader. This culture will allow the organisation to retain top talent, therefore allowing authentic leaders to produce sustainable results for their team and organisation as a whole.
One of the main things about the practice of leadership is that there’s no one model that will work for everyone – each leader has to figure out their own approach and what works for one leader won’t necessarily work for another. In a similar vein, just because something worked for you last week, doesn’t mean that it’ll work this week or in a month’s time. Leadership is something that has to continually develop as challenges and the business evolves.
For more information on the bespoke leadership programmes we deliver, get in touch today: 01437 721879.
