As the use of technology in the workplace continues to increase, it is more important than ever for business leaders to remember the human side of the equation. In a recent survey by Harvard Business School, empathy and high emotional and social intelligence ranked as the top skills for leaders to develop in the coming year to better meet the needs of their teams
Adopting an authentic leadership approach is an excellent way to do this. Organizations led by authentic leaders see other benefits, as well, including more innovation, higher creativity, and higher workplace engagement. If you want to introduce more authenticity into your leadership approach, here are some tips that can help you achieve that goal.
What does it mean to be an authentic leader?
An authentic leader is one who holds themselves to the same high standards that they expect from their followers. When they make decisions, they’re guided by the same values that they espouse to their team, and will consistently follow these principles, even when breaking them could lead to greater profits or short-term success.
While authentic leadership is often associated with servant leadership and other more democratic leadership styles, the truth is an authentic leader can use any leadership approach. The defining characteristics of authentic leaders are honesty, transparency, and integrity, not the specifics of how they manage their teams and the work assigned to them.
The benefits of authentic leadership
1. It strengthens the trust bonds throughout the organization.
When a leader is authentic, it means that their actions and decisions consistently align with their values, and that the identity they present to their team is true to their inner self. When they make a mistake, they own it and take steps to correct it; when they or the business face challenges or obstacles, they don’t try to hide them or put on a good face for the team.
All of this builds trust between the leader and their team, who learn that they can count on the boss to be honest and up-front with them. This kind of trust can be contagious, too, strengthening the trust between employees, and their trust for the organization as a whole.
2. It builds more motivated, productive teams.
Members of a team often take their cues on how to behave within it from their leaders. Because of this, a leader who openly shares knowledge and information will often result in better, more transparent communication throughout the organization. This promotes more collaboration and a more cohesive team environment that can help to bring the best out of each individual.
This communication goes both ways, too. Authentic leaders are more approachable for employees, who will be more likely to share feedback or bring up concerns or issues they’re having. That gives team members more agency and a stronger voice within the workplace, both of which are directly linked to higher productivity. It’s also more likely that potential issues will be spotted and addressed early, preventing problems that could derail the team’s productivity.
3. It creates a more inclusive, positive workplace culture.
When the leader is authentically themselves, the people who work under them feel more comfortable being their authentic selves, too. This enhances each individual’s feeling of belonging and creates a more inclusive, positive overall culture. Toxic behaviors like blame culture and bullying also have a harder time taking root under an authentic leader. These types of issues tend to thrive in workplaces with poor two-way conversation, where employees don’t feel empowered to speak up or fear reprisal for doing so. The transparent communication promoted by an authentic leader helps to prevent those kinds of scenarios from developing.
Tips to lead with authenticity
1. Develop your self-awareness.
Being authentic means being true to yourself—and you can’t do that very well if you don’t know what “yourself” is. Developing self-awareness starts by taking a deep look at your own motivations, values, strengths, and weaknesses. Talking to a mentor or trusted colleague can be very helpful in this regard. Often, it can be challenging to get a full, honest picture of yourself from within, so getting an outside perspective from someone who knows you well can help to guide you to a greater degree of self-knowledge.
2. Form genuine connections with coworkers and reports.
There are two key ingredients in building a genuine connection with other people. One is to show interest in them and what they say, which allows you to better understand their perspective and to find common ground with them. The other side of this is being vulnerable yourself, and willing to share both your struggles and your successes. Forming these kinds of real connections builds deeper trust bonds and creates an environment of mutual understanding and respect where authentic leadership can thrive. This is especially important for leaders in remote and hybrid work environments, where forming workplace connections is both more challenging and even more critical for cultivating a sense of belonging.
3. Ask for feedback about your leadership.
You know how you want to come across as a leader, but it can be more challenging to identify how you are actually being perceived by reports and colleagues. Soliciting feedback from your team can help you refine your leadership approach to ensure you’re achieving the authenticity that you’re aiming for. As a bonus, simply asking the team for feedback also demonstrates you are genuinely interested in how your leadership comes across to reports and colleagues, which is in and of itself part of leading authentically.
4. Use your values to guide your decisions.
When a leader is authentic, they stay true to their guiding principles and focus on the things that they hold as most important. Value-driven decision making helps you to do that with every action you take in the workplace. This also ensures that your actions are consistent with the values you promote to reports, which is an important part of being authentic as a leader.
5. Develop your empathy and emotional intelligence.
Empathy is one of the most valuable skills for leaders today to develop, especially those who want to build a more inclusive workplace. When you empathize with people, you understand their motivations, emotions, and what drives them. This is valuable information for a leader in any style, allowing you to best support the growth and success of the people on your team.
