Discovering Your Authentic Leadership Essay Example

is demonstrated through the following attributes and behaviors: Learning from your life story: An individual’s journey to authenticity starts here. One’s life story provides the context of their experiences, and through these experiences, they often find the inspiration to make a difference and lasting impact in the world. It is important to remember that the development of authenticity comes from both positive and negative experiences in life.

Authentic leaders use both types of experiences to give meaning to their lives. Knowing your authentic self: An authentic leader is open to building a foundation of self-respect by recognizing their successes and learning to accept criticism and tolerate failures/disappointments. Authentic leaders realize that they must be open and willing to listen to feedback from others. Practicing Your Values and Principles: An individual’s values that form the basis of their authenticity are derived from their beliefs and convictions.

However, it is important to remember that your true values aren’t known until they are tested under pressure. Leadership principles are values that are translated into action. Establishing a core base of values and taking opportunities to test them under pressure will enable you to develop your leadership principles. Balancing Your Extrinsic and Intrinsic Motivations: It is important for authentic leaders to have a thorough understanding of what drives them because in being an effective leader means sustaining high levels of motivation while keeping their lives in balance.

The key here is to find a balance between ones desires for external validation and the intrinsic motivations that provide fulfillment in their work. Building Your Support Team: Truly authentic leaders understand that they cannot succeed on their own,

and without having strong relationships to provide perspective, it is very easy for someone to lose their way. Authentic leaders build strong, viable support teams to help them stay on course. These support teams provide affirmation, advice, perspective and calls for correction when they are needed.

An individual’s support team can have a multifaceted structure that includes their family, mentors, close friends and colleagues. It is important to have at least one person in this support team with who you can completely be yourself, and still be accepted unconditionally. It’s also important to remember that building relationships to make up a support team takes time, shared values and a common purpose. Integrating Your Life By Staying Grounded: One of the greatest challenges that leaders face is the value of integrating their life. Leading a balanced life involves bringing together all constituents—family, work, community and friends.

This provides the opportunity to truly be oneself in each environment. In addition to having this balance among all constituents, authentic leaders make time for physical exercise, spiritual practice, community service and return to the places where they grew up. This all enables the sustainability of authenticity. Empowering People to Lead: Recognizing that leadership is not about success or getting loyal subordinates to follow is a key attribute that makes up an authentic leader. Authentic leaders know that the key to organizational success is having empowered leaders at all levels.

Furthermore, they inspire individuals around them and empower them to step up and lead. SUMMARY I really enjoyed this article because the value that comes with evaluating one’s authentic leadership is something that I have been faced

with over the last six months. In addition to the various attributes and behaviors that were covered in this article, I learned that for authentic leaders, there isn’t an expectation for special rewards. The challenge and fulfillment of authentic leadership encompasses our willingness to devote ourselves to our personal growth and development as a leader.