Authenticity brings the real person.

Authenticity is defined by the Cambridge Dictionary as “the quality of being real or true.” It is also frequently defined as being genuine or worthy of belief. Of course, the opposite of being authentic is to be inauthentic, which would be false, fake, or untrue.

Authenticity is one of the most important character traits of an effective leader. Without authenticity there is a chasm between the ingenuine leader and the reality of the lives around him/her. Our ability to lead effectively is built upon a relationship of trust and respect. But the gap that results from the lack of authenticity makes it impossible to build this relationship. On the other hand, authenticity in the leader draws followers into relationship, establishing the foundation for influence and motivation.

While authenticity may be one of the most important character traits of leadership, it is also one of the most easily compromised character traits. Developing a strong level of authenticity is challenging. There are two general reasons that leaders struggle to incorporate authenticity into their character.

The first hurdle is a cultural bias against authenticity. We grow up being told to “grow up”, to “be strong”, not to show emotions, to “never let them see you sweat”, etc. We develop the perception that a leader must be a superhero, never making a mistake, never feeling pressure, always upbeat and charging forward. Being genuine is devalued in our culture, while success, achievement, and avoiding criticism are highly prized. Then, when we are in a position of leadership, we subconsciously try to play this role.

The second reason that leaders struggle with authenticity is fear. Because of fear people develop self-limiting beliefs. Their subconscious self tells them not to say something because they might be judged and found unacceptable or less than what they should be. Or they fear the perceived embarrassment of a potential failure or mistake. Because of these self-limiting beliefs, people bring less than their real selves to their leadership relationship.

What are the elements of authenticity in leadership? What does authenticity look like in practice?

Self-awareness and self-acceptance – a prerequisite for being real is first knowing what is real. Authenticity requires that the leader know themselves well and are comfortable with who they are and who they are not. This doesn’t mean that they aren’t seeking growth and change within (leaders are learners and continually seek personal growth), but it means that they don’t feel the need to hide who they are and their strengths and weaknesses.

Integrity – leaders with authenticity are very clear about their values and their thoughts and actions are consistent with their values. People around them can recognize the leader’s values by their actions. The leader with authenticity has a consistency in their actions and decsions because they are all based on clear, positive values.

Emotional awareness – a part of authenticity is emotional intelligence, especially emotional awareness and the ability to manage emotions appropriately. Leaders with authenticity do not feel the need to always hide their emotions, rather they are able to recognize and appropriately share them with those that they lead.

Thoughtful and caring – in the other half of emotional intelligence, leaders with high authenticity are strong in their awareness of the emotions of others and their ability to be appropriately empathetic. As part of this, he/she is able to listen well to others, even when there is strong emotion or disagreement.

Accepting, admitting, and learning from mistakes – an important part of being real, is understanding that we are not perfect. A leader with authenticity is always ready to admit his/her mistakes and even to take responsibility for the mistakes and failures of the team that he/she leads.

Truth and transparency – authenticity is truth. This means that the leader with authenticity is ready to speak truth and present facts and opinions without fear. The self-limiting beliefs are overcome with the ability to vulnerably speak truth.

How do we develop this high level of authenticity? Building character traits like authenticity is not like building a skill. Building character is a matter of changing on the inside. It requires understanding the current state, the desired state, the gap to be bridged, and then building practices into our lives that transform the way that we think and act to the desired state.

Without a high level of authenticity, a leader does not bring his/her real power to leadership. The fear or inability to fully bring our truth and reality leaves us separated from those we lead. Authenticity is a requirement for a strong leadership relationship.

How authentic are you? What are your challenges to becoming more authentic?