Many of us think that we cannot be great leaders. We believe that effective leaders must be people with extraordinary ability. If that is the way you think, you’d better change your mindset. Many people can be great leaders if they are authentic to themselves and others. Ann Fudge, former CEO of Young & Rubicam Brands, says:
“All of us have the spark of leadership in us, whether in business, in government, or as a non-profit volunteer. The challenge is to understand ourselves enough to discover where we can use our leadership gifts to serve others. We are here for something. Life is about giving and living fully.”
Acknowledge that you can be a successful leader. As an authentic leader, you have an authentic lifestyle. The following ten points are attributes of this lifestyle.
1. Your leadership is based on your life story
Everyone has a signature story to tell. Whether you went through some struggle during your childhood, faced challenges during your teenaged years, or experienced hardship and difficult relationships during your adulthood, you were being prepared to lead at some point in your life.
Even if you think that you did not go through a struggle and you were always blessed with the good things in life, you still have a story to tell. The story is about your life and the way that you see the world and how you interacted with those who were suffering. When you build your leadership based on your signature story you
inspire many and your influence will increase.
2. You are true to yourself and others
As an authentic leader you are true to yourself and others. You are honest and do not play political games. When you follow the truth, you do not need to hide anything. You do not need to imitate others and you do not need the approval of others. You are just yourself and that is what matters the most.
3. Your family is on top of your priority list
As an authentic leader who follows his or her heart, your family has a special place in your life. You care about your spouse, partner, kids, and parents. You consult them for your decisions and find peace and strength by referring to them. You may choose your family over your career just because of your unconditional love for them yet you know that you made the right decision because of your authenticity. You know that long-lasting success comes from within.
4. You have integrity
Integrity is the key in authentic leaders’ lifestyle. Without integrity, a leader cannot be authentic. Integrity has three aspects, as follows:
• The first aspect is that you do not leave the tasks that you have started unfinished. You complete the incomplete and move forward.
• The second aspect is that your thoughts, words, and deeds are one and the same. In other words, what you think is what you say and what you say is what you do.
• The third aspect of integrity is that you are the same person at home and at work. You are the same human being wherever you go and in whatever you do.
5. You live on purpose and lead on purpose
As an authentic leader you know your life’s purpose and you choose actions to fulfill your purpose. You live on purpose and lead on purpose. You blend your personal and professional vision so that you have the best in mind for everyone in every situation. By living and leading on purpose, you live a happy and fulfilled life and leave a legacy for future generations.
6. You lead without title
In 2005, I joined a big oil and gas service company. I started as a research scientist and project engineer. Later I became a project manager and then a research program leader. During those years I realized that all positions and titles are just labels. I noticed that those who care more about their labels than they do about people will not be remembered by people when they lose their labels. In contrast, those who care more about people than labels, and respect people for who they are, and recognize them for what they do, will be respected, trusted, and remembered by people all the time.
Authentic leaders do not need titles to lead. You can be a normal employee yet lead authentically. When you do your best in everything you do and serve without any expectation in return, you are a leader with no title. Authentic leaders do not care about titles because they know that titles are temporary. They know that when they don’t chase titles, titles will chase them instead and they will get great rewards in return.
7. You are visionary
As an authentic leader, you are a visionary. You have a vision for your organization and you are able to paint your vision clearly. As an authentic leader you grant vision to others. You help them see what they could not see otherwise. You inspire them to become visionary and authentic in the same way that you are.
8. You believe in yourself and others
Authentic leaders have full trust in themselves and others. As an authentic leader, you know that the circle of trust starts with you. When you trust others first, you become worthy of trust in their mind. You believe in your own capabilities and those of the people around you. As a result, you give them confidence to be creative and try new things without fear of failure. The result will be long-lasting success.
9. You know the value of working with people
As an authentic leader, you know that working with people is the secret to your success. If you work with people and for people, they will do wonders for you especially in tough times. John C. Maxwell said, “Leaders must be close enough to relate to others, but far enough ahead to motivate them.” As an authentic leader, you expand the circle of your friends and network by becoming close to people. Expanding your network is the key to expanding your net worth.
10. You don’t need external motivators to lead
Authentic leadership comes from within. You lead with your heart and soul. You lead with love, passion, and energy so you do not need external motivators to lead because you are inspired to do your best and inspire others to do their best as well. When you live and lead on purpose, you have the fire within yourself that burns all the time and drives the wheel of your passion and motivation.
Kamran Akbarzadeh, PhD
Founder of Dream Achievers Academy
Author of Leadership Soup
Order Leadership Soup and receive great bonuses and gifts: http://www.LeadershipSoupBook.com
