Twelve Indicators Of Authenticity

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For seven decades, leadership scholars have conducted thousands of studies to determine the traits of great leaders. Thankfully, none have constructed a clear profile of an ideal leader. There’s no single leadership style or approach to leadership you can imitate to become a great leader. We can certainly learn from others, but we all have to find our unique authentic self.

Being an authentic leader comes from being more fully who you are. It’s that simple and it’s that complex.

Here are twelve indicators of being authentic:

  1. A sense of purpose. Authentic people have a sense of purpose that gives them a reason to get up in the morning and keep walking through the hard times.
  2. They resist conformity. Authentic people don’t need others to validate their worth. They can express their opinions openly when needed. Not to be compliant or defiant, but simply to be honest.
  3. Deep-seated curiosity. Authentic people are life-long learners and actively pursue feedback from others.
  4. The courage to be vulnerable. They have a close community where they share their struggles, fears, values, self-doubts, dreams, uncertainties, grief, and deepest joy – so they are comfortable bringing the full spectrum of their humanity to the world.
  5. They care about others. They are present and engaged, taking time to listen, tune in, and sincerely value others.
  6. They own their mistakes. Authentic people take responsibility for their actions, including their mistakes. and can admit when they are wrong.
  7. Humility. They know they are never the smartest person in the room and shine the light on others.
  8. They know their values, set good boundaries, and can say no.
  9. They work for the greater good. They are committed to service over self-interest.
  10. They respect others. Authentic people value of diversity, and are not threatened by, but welcome and celebrate differences. They seek to understand as many alternative work views as deeply as they can.
  11. They are accountable. They show up. You can count on authentic people.
  12. Authentic people are self-accepting. They know they can’t always exhibit some of these traits and somehow find a way to be okay with their imperfect humanity.

Tag a leader in your life that demonstrates these traits.

Why A Values-Based Approach To Leadership Is Critical for Engagement

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When you hold a kite’s string, you are the anchor that allows it to soar high in the sky. Letting go of that string does not make the kite soar to greater heights. In fact, releasing your grip causes the kite to crash to the ground.

Similarly, sustained principles act as an anchor for your leadership. Individuals who hold on to their principles reach their highest potential.

Many organizations have fancy value statements, but if you don’t have a clear path to get the values into the lives of every person in the organization, then these statements are empty resolutions.

There is a huge difference between values statements and real values.

Join David this Friday (February 23) as he shares his experience, research, and perspective on what it truly means to be value-based in your life and leadership – and the power that will come from it.

  1. Learn how being people-centered breeds entitlement.
  2. Discover how values-based leadership starts with value-based living.
  3. Leave with practical insights for engaging your teams by being values-based.

To register go to: https://lnkd.in/d37Prt4a

#leadership #values #authenticity #engagement #workculture #accountability #perspective #freewebinar

How much is enough?

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Not long ago I gave a presentation to a group of entrepreneurs where the membership requirement was to be earning more than a million dollars a year.

I started with a simple question: “How much is enough?”

No one could answer the question. The best I got was, “More than we have now.”

So many have so much that they have forgotten what enough actually feels like.

We live in a culture that defines our worth by more: more money, more stuff, more followers, more likes, more titles, more fame, more visibility, more recognition, more status. The list goes on and on.

What we end up with is more exhaustion, more mental health challenges, more suicides, more overdoses, and a planet of dwindling resources.

Our model of more is simply not sustainable. We need a new approach to navigate this world with a reliable inner compass.

Lily Tomlin had it right when she said, “The trouble with being in the rat race is that even if you win, you’re still a rat… I will not join the rat race because I’m not a rat… The only race I’ll take part in is for humans being humane.”

If you feel compelled to step back and get a new perspective, to live and lead from an authentic, centered place with a community that will support you to be who you are, I hope you will join me in my upcoming Authentic Leadership Academy. https://lnkd.in/gMi2euzp

To get a preview of what you can expect from the Academy, sign up for my complimentary Authentic Leadership Mini-Series that starts in early March. https://lnkd.in/g4M9qpWh

Relaxation is Overrated

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The past few months I’ve been working through a great online course by Cal Newport and Scott Young titled, “A Life Of Focus.” It’s about getting to what truly matters in your life, pruning the unimportant, and learning to stay focused on what is essential – without distraction. A central theme of the course, which is well aligned with my work, is reducing the time we spend distracting ourselves with screens.

When we put our devices down and get present to life, one of the many fears that can surface is that, without Netflix or social media, our minds cannot relax after a hard day of mental activity. However, research tells us that our mental faculties are capable of continuous hard activity; they don’t tire like an arm or a leg. Other than sleep, our minds don’t need rest. What they need is variety.

You don’t need to binge Netflix to relax. You don’t need to surf social media or get lost in a vortex of YouTube to give your mind a break. In fact, quite the opposite.

Your mind wants activity and diversity. Continuous hard activity and lots of variety. High quality pursuits like creating something, training for a sport, writing, reading something challenging, getting involved in a project that requires mental effort, learning to play an instrument, going for a walk, working out, doing volunteer work, or engaging in good conversation. All these activities add energy to our lives instead of subtracting it.

If you replace idle “vegging out” with thoughtful, intentional activity you’ll end up more energized and more satisfied with life.

How Do You Spot Entitlement?

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I’ve noticed that in the midst of great abundance there is an equal and opposite reaction: entitlement. It seems to be human nature that the more you get, the more you want.

I grew up with telephone party lines, with one line for five or six residences. Sometimes you had to wait 1/2 hour to make a phone call. Now I get impatient with my cell phone provider when I get a dropped call and have to redial with the push of one button.

The reverse of this also seems true. My mother lived through the Depression in a 900 square foot shack with nine siblings, enduring years of unimaginable poverty. She was void of entitlement. She taught me that with every right comes a responsibility. When she was close to death she said, “After 78 years, I accept death. I was fortunate just to have lived!”
Joyce did not even feel entitled to life itself. Hard times appear to be an ally in countering entitlement.

There are some key differences to observe between personal responsibility and entitlement.

How do you counter entitlement in your culture?

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When you see entitlement in the culture where you live or work, there are five steps to counter it:

  1. Model the way. Just as you won’t expel darkness with frustration, you won’t drive out entitlement with annoyance. Instead of complaining, be the light. You attract others by being attractive.
  2. Stick with the winners. Find the allies in your culture who live by the values you are committed to and work together to create the kind of environment you want to work and live in.
  3. Put your attention on personal responsibility. Whatever you focus on will grow. If you focus on being frustrated with entitlement, your frustrations will flourish. If you attend to the values you are committed to live, they will grow.
  4. Stay grateful. The attitude of gratitude is the antidote to entitlement. What you appreciate will appreciate.
  5. Be careful not to make things too easy for those under your care. Comfort breeds entitlement.

If you want to learn more about how giving too much and making it too easy for people breeds entitlement, check out my next webinar, February 23rd at 11 AM MT. https://lnkd.in/d37Prt4a