Adam was summoned by the HR department in his company to talk about a complaint filed by his employee. The employee claimed that Adam was rude, derogatory and condescending. The employee also claimed that because of Adam’s communication style, the team felt constantly demoralised. The HR team had conducted an enquiry into the complaint which involved speaking to many of the employees in Adam’s team. Adam learnt that most of the employees had corroborated the complaint and felt he was rude.
Adam was appalled by this feedback. All along he had felt that he was sharing feedback openly and honestly with his employees. He saw himself as a guy who speaks his mind and who likes to call a spade a spade. In his words he was “just being authentic”.
This is a misunderstanding that most leaders have of what it means to be authentic. They assume authentic leadership means being themselves. Some even take it as a licence to be their most obnoxious selves!!
In fact, with this understanding being an authentic leader may just be the worst leadership strategy for them!!
Why is it difficult to be an authentic leader?
Authentic leadership is not the same as the being you.
Being an authentic leader requires you to take off all your masks and put aside your ego. Authentic leaders have supreme confidence and a high level of self-esteem. The way most of us are wired we do get threatened by other people, their intelligence and their charisma. We are controlled by our need to look and feel powerful. We cover up our shortfalls by pretending to be something we are not.
Authentic leadership requires you to put all of that aside. It requires you to approach your work and people from an objective and empathetic viewpoint. It means it is not all about you but about the bigger picture. Even the best of us may fail to accept that.
Ways to develop authentic leadership
- Develop self-awareness: Authentic leaders understand their strengths as well as their weaknesses. They are not afraid to acknowledge their weaknesses and take steps to mitigate them. They do not expect people to accept their unflattering qualities and are also open to feedback and changes. This requires a deep level of self-awareness which takes time, effort and introspection to achieve.
- Be empathetic and genuinely care: Along with understanding themselves, authentic leaders are able to gauge the emotions and needs of others and work with that. While some people are naturally more empathetic it is a skill that can be acquired. Caring for others, the business and the world, in general, is something that is a habit to inculcate. Avoid faking both empathy and care because most people can see through them.
- Develop good communicators skills: Authentic leaders express themselves clearly and objectively. They do not allow emotions to govern their behaviour. Instead, their decisions are governed by facts. They are forward-looking and work from solving issues rather than fixing the blame.
- Build trust but be willing to show vulnerability: Authentic leaders are open to acknowledging that they don’t know all the answers. They seek the inputs of others and are happy to share credit where it is due.