“Authentic leaderhsip is revealed in the alignment of what you think, what you say, and what you do.” Michael Holland
Often when people talk about being an ‘authentic’ leader, they associate that with being vulnerable, which for many leaders may feel uncomfortable and in some organizational cultures will be seen as weak. Authentic can also just be as Michael Holland says, align what you think, say and do.
One of the things I hear the most when I do workshops on leadership and ask participants about the qualities of the best leader they have worked for, one of the most consistent qualities is trust. Trust comes from saying what you are going to do, and doing what you say and if you change your mind about what you are going to do, then telling people why you changed your mind.
It makes sense – if you do not trust the person leading you … well … you are either going to do your own thing, or you are going to move forward cautiously. So leaders… be trustworthy!