With Thanksgiving behind us, it is now time to talk turkey about where and how we are leading as the year is winding down. I’ve been working with a group of managers in a marketing firm for the past year, delving into what leadership means to each of their jobs and teams. It’s been a fascinating journey for each of these leaders, sharing and learning from one another. They have formed their own unique community within the organization, committed to empowering themselves and their teams to trust one another and support competing interests.
The final session will take place this week where we are going to explore and create each leader’s personal code of leadership. The question we will attempt to answer is:
What does authentic leadership look like?
Here are four ways to begin the journey:
BE HONEST WHO YOU ARE
Authentic leadership involves leading with truth– who you are down to your core. Sometimes it can be difficult to keep peeling the layers back to get to our true leadership brand because it requires searching within each of us to locate our values and dreams. Try answering these critical questions:
- What really excites you during your day?
- Have you tuned into your ethical compass that guides your actions and choices?
- Who do you connect with that sees your worth? Are there any other people you need to spend more time with?
[Tweet “Discover your true code of leadership to lead with authenticity.”]
SPEND TIME ON WHAT MATTERS TO YOU
Sure we have responsibilities that we have to do that may not thrill us, but we also need to fill our days with enough meaningful work. Think about how you might be able to bring personal value to your daily jobs and routines. Can you schedule a talk with someone to learn more about another aspect of your organization? Can you use your creativity in the project you are working on to make it feel more like your brand? How can you bring play or fun into your world of work or personal life?
SKETCH OUT A LEADERSHIP COAT OF ARMS
To bring out the authentic you, it can be helpful to visually create a leadership coat of arms that answers these questions:
- First square- Draw something that describes your strengths as an authentic leader
- Second square- Sketch something about your personality
- Third square- State four of your values
- Fourth square- Write out your leadership motto
[Tweet “Create a leadership coat of arms to guide your decisions.”]
OUTLINE YOUR NEXT STEPS FORWARD
Before the year comes to a close, start your authentic leadership move with purpose and structure. Decide what steps need to be taken and when. Talk it over with colleagues or friends once you decide what authentic leadership means to you. Maybe they have ideas of other ways you can integrate some of your truth into your leadership brand. In any case, don’t delay as figuring out what authentic leadership means to you is the key to being a confident and nurturing leader.
How do you lead with authenticity? What steps have you taken to expose your leadership truths?
(Coat of Arms photo by Pasukaru76)
Terri;
Great post. With out being authentic your leadership is in title only. I have always believed that if I couldn’t leas myself and be honest where I was I couldn’t possibly lead ithers.
Thanks for the reminder.
Tom
You make a great point Tom that unless we are authentic in leading ourselves, it is impossible to be impactful leading others!
I find that authenticity can mean different things to each leader so it is essential we explore our own unique definition of it. Then making sure we carry through with our leadership values and mottos in all of our choices is critical. Consistency is key.
Thanks Tom for your wonderful additions! Terri
Terri, I’m a big believer in such exercises. i call it building your leadership credo… anything that makes you consider and write down your leadership philosophy is so important. Even more important is revisiting it to see how you’re doing.
Follow-up is key and can help a leader to see whether or not they are living up to their leadership code.
Taking the time to explore what each of us stands for can really help us be more dependable and reliable leaders- both qualities are essential for authenticity.
Thanks Karin!
Wow! What a great exercise, Terri!
This helps everyone take ownership of who they are as leaders.
I agree with Karin…the real beauty is going back to revisit those values to see if the credo is up to date!
In order to keep our leadership meaningful and relevant we do need to keep updating our credo. Hopefully through the books we read, people we meet or conferences we attend we obtain new leadership lessons to grow with.
I really love this exercise too and there is never a time that a group of leaders doesn’t enjoy delving into what they stand for and how they want to come across.
Thanks LaRae!
Great points but be sure your coat of arms doesn’t become a shield from reality and empathy. Reflecting diversions is important, and your coat of arms can help keep authentic and focused. However, self-reflection and reflection on what others are communicating are both equally important. So, I guess, our leadership shield needs to strong and absorbent at the same time! Thanks, Terri!
Interesting point, Jon. I actually have leaders create group coat of arms so diverse values and understanding can be explored. The thing with a coat of arms is really just a way to reflect on what matters to you and your team and your organization. It’s not meant to separate leaders from the people they work with.
Thanks for offering your perspective as always, Jon!
Terri,
I’ve never seen a coat of arms used in this way! Love that it creates a visual that they can share and deepen their understanding of self and others. I have worked with organizations that publicly posted their DiSC profiles on their intranet not to say “this is who I am – adjust to meet my authentic self” but instead to say “this is part of who I am – who are you?”
Sounds like an exceptional year for these leaders not only exploring how they’re leading but who they are while they’re doing it.
Best,
Alli
That’s a great idea about posting the DiSC profiles to get a better understanding of how the teams can connect with each other better as well as build stronger relationships.
It has been an extraordinary year and a half with these managers and my hope is that they will bring the knowledge and skills to make themselves stronger and enlightened. The goal is to create higher performing teams with humanity.
Thanks Alli!