9 Tips To Help You Become A More Authentic Leader

As a leader, one of your primary responsibilities is to create an environment where team members feel comfortable and able to express their ideas. But how can you be sure that your team members feel the authenticity when it comes to your leadership? This blog post will provide you with tips on how you can become an authentic leader and help your team members feel confident in their abilities. By following these nine tips, you’ll be on your way to creating a positive and productive team culture. Let’s start with understanding in depth what exactly Authentic Leader means.

What do you mean by an Authentic Leader?

The term “authentic leader” has recently become popular in business. But what does it mean to be an authentic leader? Authentic leadership has been defined in many ways, but at its core, it is leading with integrity and being true to yourself and your values. Managers who follow this leadership style are not afraid to be themselves, even if it means being different from the rest of the pack. Authentic leaders are also committed to making a positive difference in the world. They want to make a difference not just for themselves but for others as well.

This type of leadership can be seen in many fields and industries, from business to politics to nonprofits. Authentic leaders are often seen as more trustworthy and effective than traditional leaders, and they are also more likely to inspire others to be their best selves. Some key traits of authentic leaders include Honesty, Trustworthiness, True Empathy, Compassion, and, very obviously, Authenticity. A mixture of all these traits makes one an effective and successful leader. Therefore, managers need to aim to become authentic leaders.

There are several tips that can help a manager to become an authentic leader. Let’s unfold those practical tips in our next section.

9 Tips to Become an Authentic Leader

Lead by example

To become an authentic leader, you must set the right example for your team. It means leading by example and doing your best to exemplify the behaviors and attitudes that you want your team to adopt. You also need to be exemplary in your behavior and display qualities that reflect the company culture and values. If you’re a manager who expects high standards from your team, you must set an example and live up to those expectations. You also need to be vocal and clear about your expectations and hold your team members accountable by displaying yourself as accountable first.

Practice self-awareness

When aiming to become an authentic leader, it is essential to first practice self-awareness. As a leader, you need to be self-aware and cognizant of your strengths and weaknesses and be able to identify your motivations. Knowing your strengths and weaknesses is the first step in developing a positive mindset and setting realistic and attainable goals. Additionally, being authentic means being yourself and not putting on a persona or pretending to be someone else. And very obviously, to be yourself, you first need to know yourself better by practicing self-awareness.

Identify and communicate your values

As a leader, it is essential to identify and communicate your values to your team. It will help them to understand what you stand for and how they can have an alignment of their work and behavior with these values. This way, there will be transparency within the team, and everyone on your team will know precisely what is expected of them and can work towards meeting those expectations. Additionally, it’s essential to have consistency in your values and behaviors, so your team can also be consistent in living up to those values. Finally, holding yourself and your team accountable for living up to those values is crucial. You can become an authentic leader and help your team achieve its goals by doing all of these things.

Be open to suggestions

Being an authentic leader means being open to suggestions and considering the opinions of others. Leaders and managers must let go of their ideas and agendas and be willing to listen to others to create a collaborative environment. They should facilitate open communication within the team, allowing the team members to share their points of view and honest feedback. This mindset is essential for managing people, as it provides a better understanding and resolution of conflicts. It also gives their hands-on better experience of the viewpoints and needs of their team. Leaders also need to be able to trust their instincts and not take everything that is said at face value. By following these tips, leaders can become more authentic in leading and managing their teams.

Practice brutal honesty with yourself and gentle honesty with others

Authentic leaders are those who are faithful to themselves and their values. They lead with integrity and are honest in their dealings with others. To become authentic leaders, managers must practice brutal honesty. They need to examine their motivations and hidden agendas. They also need to be honest with others but gently. It involves sharing feedback and criticism constructively and helpfully. Managers can hope to achieve authentic leadership only by being true to themselves and others.

Share success with the team

A manager earns respect and credibility with the team by sharing success and failure as equitably as possible. Managers who can do this are considered to be genuine leaders. They understand that leadership is not a one-way street but a two-way street in which the team has a reciprocal responsibility to support the leader. They know they can’t do everything alone and must rely on their team to achieve their goals. But they do not just rely on the team; they also give them the credit they deserve by making any success, team successful instead of making it their own. That is why sharing success with the team is a critical leadership quality that managers must develop to become authentic leaders. It will have a significantly positive effect on employee engagement, experience, and job satisfaction of the team members.

Draw on experience

When leading and managing people authentically, you must draw on your experience and learn from your mistakes. Leadership is not a one-time event but a continuous journey that you need to grow and learn from continuously. As you gain more experience and knowledge, you will develop the skills and abilities required to lead and manage a team effectively and authentically. The most important thing is never to stop learning and growing as an individual and to pass these lessons on to others. Becoming an authentic leader takes time, but it is worth it.

Follow and encourage discipline

To become an authentic leader, you must start by following and encouraging discipline. Being disciplined involves setting clear and measurable goals, developing a work plan and timeline, being well-organized, setting timelines for feedback and reviews, rewarding team members based on their performance, etc. Managers must maintain discipline in their management style, encourage the team members to follow the same, and maintain discipline in their daily interventions. Disciplined leaders not only lead teams effectively, but they also stay true to themselves and their convictions. Therefore, discipline is essential for managers to become authentic leaders.

Accept your mistakes and limitations

All authentic leaders have a critical aspect in common. That is the willingness and ability to accept their mistakes and limitations. Leaders who can do this are more likely to be successful. They also enjoy a higher level of personal satisfaction. As such, managers need to learn to accept their mistakes and limitations or shortfalls to develop and grow as a leader. However, only accepting the mistakes and limitations won’t be enough. Genuinely giving the hard work and dedication required to overcome these mistakes and limitations is also a part of becoming an authentic and great leader.

Conclusion

Authentic leadership is not about following the status quo – it’s about setting the example and inspiring others to do the same. It is about being genuine and honest in the way you lead or manage your team as a manager. By following the nine tips above, you can become an authentic leader and help your team achieve its goals. Make sure to check our other blogs related to the effective management of teams.