Authenticity isn’t just a buzzword (although it has been over-used lately), it’s the foundation of transformational leadership. When you lead from a place of authenticity, you cultivate trust, inspire innovation, and create a legacy that lasts.
Yet, too many leaders struggle with showing up as their true selves, fearing vulnerability, failure, judgement, or resistance. The truth? Authenticity is your greatest advantage. It allows you to:
- Build deeper connections with your team
- Make decisions with confidence and clarity
- Lead with impact and purpose, and,
- Create a culture of trust and engagement.
As we all can, CEOs in small-mid size companies can readily lose perspective when pressures increase. Recently a client was able to say, (I paraphrase.) “I don’t want to do this job; I want others to do it.” So, sell the company or change perspective? Together, we looked at the possibility of loving what she has created, taking the lead in her organization rather than working in the trenches with her team, and looking at things objectively. May sound crazy but follow me.
Authenticity with yourself is an absolute necessity. By acknowledging that it was solely that she did not like the “back room” aspects of her business which she has been buried in recently due to a new project, she created the opportunity to step back and see that she already had in place an amazing team who loved that aspect of the work. Her real skill is in the networking, in bringing people into her vision of what is possible in our lives and show, with love, passion, and excitement, that if they were ready to create their vision, she has an entire infrastructure in place to walk them step-by-step through the process of bringing their vision to life.
In choosing to reflect on her core strengths and values, without judgment, rather than the “story” of what she should feel or do, she got to own her true passion. She loves opening people up to the infinite of what is possible if they are willing to do the work. By focusing on that, she can love her business, promote it with pride, and then allow those who have the skills to do so support her clients completely, while she gets to live her joy and passion.
We speak about transparency with others but what about transparency with yourself? What about owning the parts of your business you like and those you don’t? It doesn’t mean throwing out the business, it may mean building a team that loves what you don’t so you can fully delegate and move into what you do love.
What I continue to learn, repeatedly, is that by growing your business you need to grow yourself. With every new client I grow, I expand my understanding of humanity (the first 50 years are the warm-up.), and I love what I do more.
To simplify, how do you embrace authenticity as a leader?
- Reflect on Your Core Values – What truly matters to you? Align your leadership and your vision with those values.
- Own Your Story – Your journey, challenges, and lessons make you a stronger leader. Own them and share them with your team and others if needed.
- Lead with Transparency – Authentic leaders communicate openly and honestly, fostering trust so that you and the team understand each other and win.
- Embrace Growth – Authenticity isn’t about perfection; it’s about continuous evolution. Stopping evolution stops you, in your tracks.
Authenticity isn’t just a quality—it’s a superpower.
Let’s redefine leadership—one authentic step at a time.