Being an Authentic Leader

Just take a minute yourself and think….why should anyone be led by you?

Umm…not easy is it!

It’s quite a difficult question to answer and one we ask people on our Management Development Programme quite often! However to help people find their answer we introduce the theory of Authentic Leadership developed by Goffee and Jones. Here’s what Goffee and Jones have to say:

Selectively show your weaknesses

Nobody wants a perfect leader – they don’t appear to need help. Besides…who’s perfect?
We often hear leaders saying “one day I’m going to get rumbled”!
What is wrong with showing you’re human?

Become a sensor

What do you hear, see, feel? What is this information telling you?
Use your intuition and trust your instincts.
To do this, you need to hone your ability to be present, listen and understand what is happening, what is being said but also what is not being said. It’s about collecting and interpreting subtle clues, detecting what’s going on without others spelling it out.

Practice Tough empathy

This is about respecting the individual whist balancing respect for the task at hand. Leaders empathize fiercely with their followers and care intensely/even passionately about their peoples work. They’re also empathetically tough. This means giving people not necessarily what they want, but what they need to achieve their best. This could include giving feedback and making tough calls.

Dare to be different

Capitalizing on what’s unique about YOU.
Doing this, lets you signal your separateness as a leader but also motivates others to perform better encouraging people to take risks and be different.

Distinguish yourself through qualities like imagination, expertise, adventure.

Goffee and Jones still believe leaders need vision, energy, authority and strategic direction, but to be a truly inspirational leader you should – Be yourself – more -with skill. Our Management Development Programme focusses on being authentic, so if you want to be yourself, more, with skill why not book on the programme today. It could be your game changer!