3 secrets to help you be a more authentic leader

The qualities of a leader can have a huge impact on staff; if a leader tends to express unreasonable demands, a culture of fear will likely develop which can lead to high turnover. Whereas, if a leader is authentic and trusting, employees are more likely to stay.

This is echoed in research by the University of Nebraska. In its study of entrepreneurial leadership, it was revealed that the biggest predictor of whether or not people are happy in their jobs isn’t company culture or office camaraderie, it is in fact an authentic leader.

Similarly, Adam Weber, Chief People Officer at Emplify, has defined an authentic leader in his book  Lead Like a Human, as ‘someone who is willing and able to be themselves, and leads in a way that feels natural to who they are as a person’.

However, being truly authentic can be easier said than done, partly due to the fact that many leaders chose to adopt the same leadership style as their mentor or manager. But to be truly authentic means to develop a leadership style that is genuine to them as a person.

This is something Weber alluded to in his book: “Making the time to look inward is the first step. Taking a long, hard look in the mirror might be painful, but it’s an essential first step in gaining the confidence required to become your own kind of leader.”

Speaking to Forbes, Weber also outlined three secrets to help leaders become truly authentic.

1. Encourage honest feedback

Once you reach the peak of your career where you are in charge of managing several people, it can be easy to believe that your way is best. However, everyone has blind spots and as such encouraging open and honest feedback can help to combat this. Becoming more self-aware requires you to shine a light on areas you can improve on that you may not necessarily be aware of, which help you to improve authenticity as a leader.

2. Focus on a routine

Weber encourages leaders to think about their daily routines to discover what truly works for them. For example, do you enjoy exercises first thing in the morning? Are you more productive at night time? What helps you switch off at the end of the day? Asking yourself these questions allows you to discover what makes you tick, to get the best version of yourself while at work.

He explained: “I have plenty of colleagues where ‘early to bed and early to rise’ make them nothing but grumpy and exhausted. We are all different people with different patterns and rhythms. There is no universal answer to what inspires and grounds us.”

3. Learn to self-reflect

For many, reflecting on ourselves is not an easy task. With this in mind, Weber has suggested the art of ‘practicing’ this, to encourage leaders to set out a daily routine of self-reflection. To kick this off, he advised for leaders to choose a method of record-keeping, such as diary notes, voice recordings or a notebook. To begin, leaders should ask themselves a series of questions including ‘what is bringing you energy today?’, ‘what is causing you stress?’ and ‘what are you noticing about yourself today?’.

Weber added: “A ‘practice’ insinuates a long-term commitment to continual improvement. It’s about the journey, not reaching a destination.”

By : Jade Bruke

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