Leading with Authenticity
Looking back at our careers, we can easily pinpoint at least one person who seemed to be the "total package". They were confident, knowledgeable, and fantastic when it came to dealing with people. We may be drawn to try and imitate or replicate them, but you may come to find out that copying the actions of others may not deliver the same results. To truly be effective and satisfied with the work you do, you must act in a way that is aligned with your most authentic self.
Being authentic is synonymous with being genuine. Even though we may all work in different roles that accomplish different things, we all must find a way to bring our true selves to the table when functioning throughout our professional lives. What does that look like? Well, first and foremost, you must have a solid, foundational understanding of what drives your decisions. It may take time, but some proper introspection in order to analyze our core beliefs and values can pay dividends when it comes down to understanding our own logic. Once we can isolate our intrinsic motivators, it becomes simpler for us to predetermine how we might react in certain situations and therefore maneuver smoothly within our organizations.
Now that we have a clearer image of what defines our inner motivations, then we begin to focus on how we blend our beliefs and self-perceptions into the way we are perceived by others. Peer pressure and societal expectations can drastically impact how we operate, and this is something we must always keep in mind as we critically analyze our position in situations. Cognitive dissonance is when we have two conflicting ideas that are missing a connection to bridge the gap between them. In this particular instance, it could look like the idea we have of ourselves and what we want to be like versus how we behav, or believe we should behave, at work. Members of our team are always uncannily talented at sniffing out inauthenticity. Therefore, we need to actively engage in maintaining our ethical and moral course to be ourselves, even when given positional authority.
Some may wonder how we can manage to stay true to ourselves when there are moments that call for action in conflict with our beliefs. I believe Machiavelli put it best when he spoke of sovereign entities in the fact that, as leaders, we must adapt to our situations and be the best we can in each. For example, if you are a naturally empathetic person and you have now been put in a position in which you must reprimand an employee, you can still reach out and make sure they are OK afterwards, or to help mentor them through it. Most moments that test our leadership chops are circumstantial, and therefore we must be flexible to adapt to them while simply maintaining a grasp on who we are.
Ultimately, being true to yourself and aligning your vision with that of your organization may be a difficult undertaking, but the results of your efforts will pay off in a larger scale organizational shift that you may notice in all facets within your sphere of influence. Leading authentically will improve team performance, effective communication, personal connections, and a deeper sense of satisfaction in what you do, alongside how you do it.
