Authentic leaders are genuine individuals who show their true selves to the people they lead.
Authentic leaders are genuine individuals who show their true selves to the people they lead. They have the courage to share their emotions, vulnerabilities and honest opinions with others. They can be trusted to present as the same person in both their public and private lives; allowing them to connect more deeply with others. Authentic leaders demonstrate behaviours that allow others to trust in them all the time; they take ownership when they have made a mistake, and they share responsibility when their teams make mistakes.
Authentic leadership has been described as an alignment of head, mouth, heart and feet – thinking, saying, feeling and doing the same thing, consistently. This allows the leader to build trust, another critical component of effective leadership.
Brené Brown, research professor at the University of Houston, spent two decades studying courage, and empathy. She recently published Dare to Lead, a book on the future of leadership following seven years of dedicated study in the area. She describes authenticity as “a daily practice. Choosing authenticity means: cultivating the courage to be emotionally honest, to set boundaries, and to allow ourselves to be vulnerable.”
These courses are ones recommended by B.C. Corrections to fulfill the competencies for the topic of Authenticity.
Look here for a random selection of additional audio, video, and readings to expand an understanding of Authenticity.
