by Mignionette Fair, founder of Edita Services
In Part 1 of Becoming an authentic leader, I looked at what an authentic leader is and some of the important aspects of authentic leadership. This week, we look at the remaining aspects of authentic leadership including some characteristics of authentic leaders. After all, why would you want to lead like anyone else? That just means one of you isn't needed!
And so, without further ado, here are a few more important aspects of authenticity:
Confidence
Authentic leaders are confident in who they are! Remember, confidence is not the same as arrogance. Vitor Belfort said, "Arrogance requires advertising. Confidence speaks for itself." Allow your passion, excellence and personality to speak for itself. Now, slowly put down that megaphone and step away...
*Something to think about: Build other people's confidence as well as your own. Lift as you rise!
Connection
Connecting is not about you! You are not the hero. There is a saying that goes, "People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care." When you are an authentic leader, you genuinely care about those you lead - including your employees and clients. You want them to flourish and succeed. Remember, people can generally smell fakeness from a mile away, so if you don't care, rather don't act as if you do.
Commitment
Authentic leaders have staying power. They are committed to their vision and they are diligent. They work hard and are diligent. You don't always have to be the first, or the strongest, or the fastest... sometimes you only have to hang around longer than your competitors. Margaret Mead said, "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."
*Something to think about: Think about the recent Time's Up movement, a Nelson Mandela or Martin Luther King Jr. Commitment to a vision and passion is contagious.
Consistency
Consistency is the lifeblood of authenticity. If you keep changing your tune (values, beliefs, etc.), you are not authentic. You are confused or fake. Either way, consistency creates credibility and without it, you will never be considered an authentic leader. Stick to your guns!
*Something to do: Implement processes to ensure consistency in your business, whether it is email templates to ensure everyone in your company is speaking with the same voice or the consistent quality of your products or services.
Self-interest
Although authentic leadership is about serving and caring about others, a measure of self-interest is needed. Without it, your business will close down or you will burn out. It is completely acceptable to charge reasonable rates for your products and services when you are offering value for money. Or to go on a holiday when you are working extremely hard.
In the end, as an authentic leader, you cannot separate these aspects from one another. They all influence each other, and we will always be working on at least one of these aspects. No matter how hard we try, we will never be perfect leaders, we are human, after all. We can only strive to be authentic and take ownership of who we are.
Have a great week - until next time,
Mignionette
Mignionette Fair is the founder of editA, a one-stop language shop for anyone with a story to tell. Editing, copy-writing, translation… Mignionette and her team do it all! Whether you are a business owner, copy-writer, website developer, e-mail sender, newsletter distributor or love letter writer, editA helps you and your story shine brightly through excellent language and fantastic prices. editA has built in AI that ranks its wordsmiths against each other and into style categories. In this way, clients are ensured they get matched with the perfect wordsmith for their needs. editA’s turnaround times are also some of the best in the industry. To find out more, check out www.edita.online or email Mignionette direct at admin@edita.online
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