Being an Authentic Leader Versus Just Being Different
Authenticity isn’t difficult – just be yourself. Aha! Now that can be difficult. Authenticity requires us to make ourselves vulnerable. To share what makes us who we really are. While that may be scary, you’ll find the benefits of that vulnerability are immeasurable.
We sometimes mistake being different for being authentic. Being different is fine as long as it’s for the right reasons. If you’re being different for the sake of being different but not being true self in the process, you’ve failed to achieve authenticity. People can see right through it.
Recently I had the opportunity to discuss authenticity with Jamie Newman at Your Best Manager. We got together on his podcast to discuss the thought of authenticity, what it means, how to achieve it, and mistakes you can make in the pursuit of it. I thoroughly enjoyed our conversation and hope you do too. I encourage you to consider what makes you authentic. What makes you, well… YOU!
Listen to the podcast here:
I hope you enjoyed my conversation with Jamie. I certainly enjoyed speaking with him. I encourage you to give the tools we discussed a try and see how it impacts the way you lead going forward.
– Mike Figliuolo at thoughtLEADERS, LLC
Jamie Newman started YourBestManager.com with a simple goal. To help aspiring managers become manager-ready and help first-time managers effectively build and lead a team… without having to “figure it out” on their own.
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I enjoyed the podcast. It set me to thinking about your book One Piece of Paper and it’s influence on me; it is the foundation on which I’ve built much since first reading and pondering it. Being an authentic leader got much easier when I finished my Maxims. It took me awhile (about 6 months) because I found so much in your book to stop and think about. Having the maxims as an anchor and realizing that being a leader also means being vulnerable has meant a lot to me. I’ve become far more comfortable leading others because I’ve become more comfortable with my own strengths and failures and can learn from them. I’ve been asked to handle different assignments that take me out of my comfort zone, and I think it is because I’ve been able to forget about acting and focus on working with others to get results. Thank You!
You know I love hearing about people’s “light bulb” moments Duane. This certainly qualifies as one. I’m really happy to hear you’ve used my thoughts and ideas as a platform to be a better leader! Keep up the great work.