Top Leadership qualities: How to become an authentic leader
If you are reading this article, you are probably interested in developing the necessary leadership qualities to become a leader in the near future if you are not already one. But it is imperative to first understand that there are different types of leadership. Twenty first century leadership is leaning more towards authentic leadership rather than self-centered leadership, and there are many reasons why.
To help you illustrate these reasons and understand how you can develop the leadership qualities an authentic leader has, I’m going to start this article with a short story about a young boy named Howard.
Howard lived in Brooklyn, New York with his mom and dad, when one day he learned that his dad, the sole provider of his family, had been injured and would not be able to provide for his family. As his family experienced hardships and set back, Howard began to dream of ways to save his family. He came up with the goal of one day starting a business that his dad would be proud to work in. He had the vision of creating an organization based on specific values and practices that would make every single person who was part of the project proud.
This was an intrinsic motivation that wasn’t going to go away easily. Without knowing it, he had developed a kind of motivation that was going to remain constant probably for the rest of his life.
Howard eventually achieved his dream, and that company later grew into fruition and became Starbucks. Howard Shultz used his past to become the founder and CEO of one of the most globally recognized companies in the world.
Howard used his story. My question to you is, what can you make of your own story?
Authentic leadership is about owning your own life story, understanding who you are and how your environment and circumstances have led you to where you are. The concept of authentic leadership is centered on how you choose to react to your circumstances and teaches you to allow them to positively influence how you lead. Authentic leaders know their purpose in life and use it to grow personally and to impact everything around them in a positive way.
In this blog post, I’m going to share the keys to developing the top leadership qualities all authentic leaders have, and three steps you can use to achieve authentic leadership.
Qualities of an Authentic Leader
The typical characteristics of leaders have evolved over the years. However, all authentic leaders have two main qualities that help them function in their day to day lives.
They understand their story
In order to become an authentic leader it is important to have a clear understanding of who you are and what you stand for. Take the time to analyze your past, and let it fuel your purpose in life. Let your story be the thing that defines you, not just your achievements. Once you understand who you are, where you want to go and what you stand for, you should be able to define you True North.
As Bill George stated in his quote: “Authentic leaders have discovered their True North, align people around a shared purpose and values, and empower them to lead authentically to create value for all stakeholders.” The concept of “True North” refers to the magnet that is constantly driving us in life, our dreams. It is about your life purpose and living for it. Once you have discovered this, you will be able to define your values and consequently, you will attract people who share these values and think alike.
THEY BUILD Trust
A group of people who share the same values and the same purpose working together, will result in an environment based on trust.
So this is the second step, building trust around you, your brand, and your actions.
Trust is a powerful tool. Trust is the reason why customers buy, why investors invest, and employees work. Authentic leaders know how to foster trust and understand that it is the basis of all organizations and companies. Without it, you can not be an effective leader.
Three Stages to Developing Authentic Leadership
Based on Bill Geoge’s book Discover Your True North I’m going to break down the three stages of how to become an authentic leader.
1. Journey to Leadership
The first step towards authentic leadership starts with introspection. Take a hard look at your past and determine how you can reframe it. How can you use your past to determine your future? Become the hero of your own story and analyze your strengths, weaknesses, and experiences and decide how to apply them.
2. Develop as an Authentic Leader
The path to authentic leadership doesn’t happen overnight. Over time you will be able to build self-awareness and develop your own set of guiding principles and values.
Take a look at the people around you, your supporters and anyone who has helped you on your journey, and give them the recognition they deserve.
Take time to also find a balance in life. As humans, we have an integrated life. We are not just workers, and we have friends, family, hobbies, and a life outside of work.
3. True North Meets World
According to George, your True North is the magnet that pulls you towards your life’s purpose, which is directly tied to your life’s story. In this final stage of establishing your authentic leadership, shift the focus from you to sharing your True North with the world. Analyze how are you contributing value to your organization and team.
Leadership evolution
To truly understand everything that Authentic Leadership involves, the chart below describes how leadership has evolved from last century to the present century.
By confronting your past and using it to plan your future, you will be able to develop these top leadership qualities and eventually become an authentic leader. Authentic leadership starts with yourself, and if you set your mind to it, can you become the leader your story has set you up to be.
