Authenticity in Leadership

As a team we may rely on the strengths of the group, but as an individual we must accept the boundaries of our personalities and experience. We should never try to be who we aren’t, because success comes when the world responds to our authenticity. While authentic attitudes generate successful brands, quite often manufactured brands generate empty disinterest.

If you want success, you should find those who love you for that which you offer. If you want to be efficient, eliminate the products in your line that do not match your personality. If you want relevance, teach lessons based on the best of what you know well, and ignore that which you’ve heard second hand.

 Use everything you know as support for the core of your beliefs and never present an idea that is not connected to them. If you want sustained relevance, study constantly and inform your core beliefs with a broad base of useful knowledge.

It became apparent to me this morning that the clarity of the directives listed above were fading in my own life. From time to time, I am temporarily intimidated by the world’s attempt to make me a part of a homogeneous business attitude and belief system different from my own. Just like a seasoned performer may still get nervous prior to stepping onto the stage, we may get nervous right before we lead others according to what we know is right. That feeling is okay, and it generates prudence. What is not okay is to abandon your authentic leadership power and knowledge so you may feel safe. Safety is common and bland and uninspired. That is the attitude of anyone who tells you they “just want to work for 30 years then retire”. I reject that type of safety with every cell in my body, and so should you.