Month: January 2017

Categories
blog Decisionmaking Inspiration Leadership Motivation Training Walking Leader

ON AUTHENTIC LEADERSHIP

We hear words added to LEADERSHIP all the time.
 
Words like genuine, masterful, honest, and authentic. They all serve a purpose to describe the individual but when it comes to the act of leadership the only one that matters is AUTHENTIC.
 
When it comes to AUTHENTIC LEADERSHIP, every leader must be ready to move beyond being open and transparent. You have to work on establishing your legitimacy as an authentic leader by building true and honest relationships with followers that value your input.
 
While all followers will value your input because they would not be your followers if they didn’t.
 
However, the level of support by your followers will vary. It varies because each follower is a unique individual with unique needs and wants. That is why building trust, growing enthusiasm and caring and encouraging others to do the same is key to being authentic in your role as a leader.
 
A few things to aid you in being an Authentic leader is to ramp up being mission driven and stay focused on the long term. The long term being look at the big picture and keeping that picture dynamic.
 
Anything less and your run the risk of letting mediocrity creep in and settle. Once mediocrity has settled in doing anything else to raise any level will be all but a moot point.
 
It will be as if you are having to start from scratch. Starting from the beginning is always discouraging especially, when the leader becomes a master of starting from scratch over and over again.
 
When a leader becomes a master of building and rebuilding it might be the time to change the leader. Change the leader? Yes, he or she has become complacent.
A complacent leader is never going to be a true practitioner of authentic leadership. Well of course, if the complacent leader decides it may be time to change location, altitude, and most definitely attitude he or she might stand a chance but time will tell.
Categories
blog Followership Leadership Motivation Walking Leader

On Being Open and Transparent

See when it comes to being a leader in the 21st century, being open and transparent is now the only acceptable and expected norm. It is the standard. However, unfortunately so many people continue to push that standard to the side. They throw it off and that is not a good thing. Folks that is not how it’s done, that is not how it is going to be, most importantly that is not how one remains a leader.

One remains a leader by not deviating from the standard you set for yourself and for others that you lead, manage or supervise. You expect others to adhere to those standards but once you start saying “oh well, that’s their standards and these are my standards” well it does not work that way. You have to remain open and transparent the entire time you are a leader. You cannot deviate from the ONE standard because when it comes to being transparent; “you deliberately go out of your way to try to be honest and open about who you are. There is no façade, no pretense – with you. People get what they see. You speak in your own voice. You are authentic. Others can see clearly who you are, what you are doing and why you are doing it.”

It is that simple. You just cannot deviate from that, if you’re expecting others to behave in a manner that you say but you are not doing, well all I can say is something is very wrong there. It is when you begin to hide things, like openness and transparency; the truth will eventually become clouded. Once clouded you will fall down that slippery slope where people will begin to doubt their trust in you and as a Leader, you do not want that.

Once that trust is in doubt, there is no going back. Sure, you might get 98 – 99% percent but you will never have a 100% of that trust back. Seriously, you will not see all that trust ever again. Think about it this way; for some reason or another, you doubt somebody’s trust. After the situation is settled, will you or can you ever truly trust that individual again? No.

It is sad but it is true. That is why the importance of being open and transparent is key to a successful career and even more importantly it is key to maintaining the honor of being called a leader for a very long time.

Thanks for your time,
Dave

P.S. What do you think of what I wrote above? Do you agree? Disagree? Let me by email ([email protected]) or on Twitter where my handle is @DaveGuerra

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Categories
blog Change Followership Inspiration Leadership Motivation Training Walking Leader

On Being Genuine

Now is the time to be more than who you are. Being more is as important as eating or breathing is to the human body.  Currently, you are who you are and the sooner you understand that you have to grow to be a better individual, the sooner you can grow beyond who you are. Grow beyond who you are?

Being genuine is the only way to grow beyond who you currently are.

To grow as an individual you can only do so as an individual. However, you must take certain precautions so as not to come across inauthentic or disingenuous.

While it may be a slippery slope do your best to not make it a competition. We are all taught that you have to be the best. You have to be number one. Excessive competitiveness does nothing but bring you down when you win and you resent those who do win. Be careful.

Let go of what other people say or expect. Just be yourself. You want to be genuine, the real deal then you cannot be when you are at the mercy of others. When others tell you you should do this or say that then you are nothing but a follower. Remember you are the only person that gets to say who you are. So be that person. While the “cool” kids are doing what the “cool” kids do when it is all said and done they are nothing but followers. Remember that.

Being genuine means, you are not following anyone but blazing your own trail. Then those that want to be with you will find a way to be near you and they will do so because you are genuine in your intents and actions. Trust the process and most of all trust yourself.

Do not force it. Forcing yourself to be genuine well that does come shining through o anyone and everyone. So do not force it.

All in all, just be yourself.