Ann Golden Eglé

Authentic Leaders

If you are in a leadership role, do you permit all that you are an appearance? Can you show the good, the bad as well as the ugly? There just might be tremendous value in finding a way to do this.

Great leaders have many traits in common, one of which is authenticity. What is an authentic leader then? It is clearly seeing and knowing all of 'you'--the good, bad and ugly.

It's you accepting the 'you' that you want to ignore or even hide. When those who seek to be leaders don't accept all aspects of themselves, they create two fatal errors.

First, what you resist persists. If you resist your fear, it only builds. If you resist your anger, it grows larger and larger until it becomes unmanageable.

Alternately, become introspective; ask others for feedback, and admit who you areall three aspects of self ( and each of us has good, bad and ugly parts ) - you can make a new plan.

For example, if you have a fear of public speaking or you sense that you are not the best communicator, join Toastmasters or a support group to help you become more proficient. In addition, you'll benefit because your communication skills will become more authentic.

We all know would-be leaders who failed due to improper communication. Had they accepted this weakness and formed a plan to overcome it, they would have succeeded.

Secondly, your worst traits (those you're embarrassed by) could be the very thing that helps you get off the dime and make some progress in your career. Take the people-pleaser for example. Whether you're a man or a woman, a people pleaser wants to make good contributions to the team, not be seen as someone who is disruptive and fractured.

Their biggest fear is to be labeled a manipulator or worse. A strong leader knows enough about who he is to consider himself authentic and then be able to tap into his inner resources to motivate his team. They see their ability to be multifaceted as a tool rather than something to hide.

Here's what authenticity may sound like: "I am a strong leader and sometimes I am weak; I am a big-hearted giver, yet sometimes I am thrifty; I am very outgoing and I enjoy making people laugh, but I place a strong value on silent time; I am one of the most compassionate people you'll ever meet yet you don't want to be on my bad side!"

This week give yourself full permission to let all authenticity shine. It might be quite surprising to see the opportunities this would open up for you. You could craft yourself into an authentic leader. Enjoy your discoveries and have a great week!

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