AUTHENTIC LEADERSHIP: WHAT IS IT & WHY IT SHOULD BE YOUR GOAL AS A LEADER
What is Authentic Leadership?
Every day, you make approximately 35,000 choices. These choices, both big and small, define your leadership style and determine your success. And here’s the kicker: your intentions mean nothing if they don’t align with the choices you make. Every day, you make approximately 35,000 choices. These choices, both big and small, define your leadership style and determine your success. And here’s the kicker: your intentions mean nothing if they don’t align with the choices you make.
I know that sounds tough. But when a gap forms between what you claim to value and how you actually show up, you’re failing to lead authentically. And the potential costs of this failure are high. Inauthentic leadership costs businesses more than just money. The repercussions—like damaging trust and stifling innovation—undermine the core elements that enable organizations and employees to thrive.
So, what’s the solution? Invest in cultivating authentic leadership. This leadership style is rooted in:
1. Self-awareness & through that Value-led decision-making
2. Courage & through that Transparency
By focusing on these pillars of authentic leadership, you can foster trust, engagement, and increase your long-term success.
1. Self-Awareness: The Bedrock for Value-Led Decision-Making
You know it when you see it: The boss who takes pride in their ability to delegate but micromanages every step of the way. The coworker who constantly talks over others in meetings and takes credit for ideas they didn’t come up with. The direct report who is shocked by constructive feedback about their performance.
Self-awareness gaps are easy to spot in others. We see them every day. But how likely are we to spot these gaps in ourselves? According to research by Dr. Tasha Eurich, 95% of people believe they are self-aware. In reality, however, only 10 to 15% of people truly are.
This disconnect can be a leadership disaster. Which is why Self-awareness is the MOST important aspect of developing authentic leadership. Many leaders simply don’t know themselves well enough to lead authentically. These leaders get pushed and pulled in different directions without a steady compass to guide their path.
If you ever find yourself trying to adapt to how others want you to show up in a given moment, I’m talking to you. Authentic leaders don’t play chameleon. They are grounded in their sense of self and leverage their full self in every interaction.
Over the last decade of supporting leaders, I’ve learned that self-awareness isn’t a luxury—it’s the bedrock for effective leadership. Self-awareness improves empathy, decision-making, and trust. Leaders who know themselves deeply understand their strengths, weaknesses, and values. They are aware of their emotional triggers, understand how they affect others, and regularly seek to uncover their blind spots.
Self-awareness enables leaders to anchor decisions in their purpose as opposed to optics. When leaders allow their values to guide the decision-making process, they have an inner compass that consistently guides and aligns their actions. These leaders prioritize integrity over convenience, building a culture where accountability and doing the right thing becomes the norm.
Authentic leaders know who they are. But self-awareness doesn’t happen overnight. It requires reflection and, often, someone to hold up a mirror and say, “Here’s what you’re not seeing.” So ask yourself:
Who’s holding up a mirror for you?
Pro Tip: Self-awareness is about progress, not perfection. You don’t need to have all the answers. Instead, focus on understanding what drives you and how your motivations are helping (or hindering) your progress toward your goals. Without this clarity, you’ll find yourself reacting to the day’s challenges instead of leading with intention.
2. Courage: Transparency and Action in Spite of Fear
Authentic leaders act boldly in alignment with their values, even under pressure. They are open about their motivations and challenges. They take risks, make tough decisions, and own their mistakes.
It takes courage to make decisions aligned with your core values, especially if they’re unpopular. It takes courage to change your mind. When was the last time you told your team, “I don’t know” or “I was wrong”? If you haven’t done this recently, then consider:
What’s getting in your way?
As Nelson Mandela said, “May your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears.” Courage isn’t about avoiding fear but facing it head-on. And spoiler alert: every courageous decision will invite judgment. That’s the price of great leadership.But leading boldly and authentically is a sound investment. Transparency fosters trust and collaboration, creating a culture where everyone feels their viewpoint is valued and more diverse perspectives lead to better results.
Pro Tip: Start small. Build your courage muscle by taking risks aligned with your values. Over time, the reward—a life and leadership style that feels true to you—will outweigh the risks.
Discovering Your Authentic Leadership Style
It takes both self-awareness and courage and to lead with authenticity. It’s not enough to have an inner compass. You have to use your compass to guide your path. As Chip Conley explains, “Self-awareness without courage means that you know who you are but the rest of the world doesn’t. Courage without self-awareness can lead to macho posturing.” To be an authentic leader, you need to know who you are and be brave enough to act on that knowledge.
Authentic leadership isn’t about squeezing into someone else’s mold. It’s about leveraging your unique blend of talents, experiences, and quirks. No two leaders are alike.
Consider what makes you different and how you could lean into those attributes. They just might be your superpowers.
CLIENT EXAMPLE: Take Ivy, one of my clients and one of the most empathetic women I know. She’s an executive in a high-pressure industry where empathy is often viewed as a weakness. When I first started coaching Ivy, she was focused on trying to conform to the models of leadership she regularly encountered. Instead of downplaying her empathy, I helped Ivy leverage this strength. By embracing empathy as a leadership strategy, Ivy quickly built trust and open communication with her team. The result? Her team thrived, and Ivy became one of the company’s most respected leaders.
Key Insight: Your values won’t resonate for everyone, and that’s okay. You’re not here to please others. Authenticity attracts the right people and inspires their loyalty and action.
Benefits of Authentic Leadership
Authentic leadership isn’t just good for your conscience—it’s good for business. If you’re looking for ways to become a more effective leader, consider what authentic leadership can do:
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Is your company experiencing high attrition rates? Authentic leaders inspire trust and loyalty. Their teams feel valued, seen, and connected, leading to reduced turnover and higher morale.
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When leaders show up authentically, it creates a ripple effect. Employees feel more engaged and satisfied because they see their leaders as real, relatable, and invested in their growth. I once worked with a nonprofit focused on ending human trafficking. While they couldn’t offer top-tier salaries, their authentic leaders created an environment where employees felt deeply committed to the mission and their leaders. As a result, their fiercely loyal team consistently delivered outstanding results.
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Are you looking to unlock your team’s full potential? Teams led by authentic leaders perform better because they’re motivated by shared values and a clear sense of purpose.
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Authentic leaders set a high bar for accountability. They model what it means to own mistakes and learn from them. Over the summer, I worked with Dan, a CEO who had recently stepped into a senior role at a large corporation. Dan’s legal background meant he was initially more likely to defend his position than admit mistakes. But Dan also valued accountability and was concerned by accountability gaps he observed among senior leaders in the company. Through our work together, Dan decided to start modeling transparency. His efforts encouraged other leaders to do the same, transforming the company’s culture.
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Is your team struggling to get along? Authentic leadership is a trust magnet. When leaders display trust by showing up in authentic ways, their teams respond with the same openness and commitment to one another.
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Is your team reluctant to challenge ideas or propose alternative solutions? Psychological safety is a hallmark of authentic leadership. When teams feel safe, they think creatively and take risks. Authentic leaders celebrate bold ideas–even when they fail–driving innovation and continuous improvement.
The Challenges of Authentic Leadership
Becoming an authentic leader isn’t easy. Two major roadblocks stand in the way: self-regulation and fear.
Self-Regulation
Authentic leadership not only requires deep self-awareness, which means facing your strengths and flaws without flinching. It also demands self-regulation. You need to manage your emotions, thoughts, and behaviors to keep your focus on your goals.
Think about the last time your emotions got the best of you. Did you get caught up in the moment and agree to something exciting without thinking about the consequences of doing so? Say something out of anger that you now regret? Give up on something prematurely because you felt overwhelmed? Just because you feel something doesn’t mean you should act on it.
Authenticity is about aligning your actions
with your values, not your impulses.
Overcoming the Discomfort of the Unknown
Leaders can become paralyzed by fear: fear of judgment, fear of failure, fear of standing out. The pressure to conform to organizational cultures, social norms, and stakeholder expectations is real and often hard to resist. Authenticity requires vulnerability, which can also be scary. It’s common for leaders to assume that showing their weaknesses will cause them to be viewed as less competent or unworthy of respect and authority.
But here’s the way out. Great leaders embrace their humanity. They’re willing to be seen as they are, imperfections and all. By embracing your fear and pushing through it, you will align your actions with your values and set a clear example of your style of authentic leadership.
Are you willing to face discomfort to become a more inspiring & effective leader?
Implementing Authentic Leadership in Your Organization
At Boundless & Co., we help leaders adopt authentic leadership practices so they can become boundless. Boundless leaders aren’t defined by the boundaries imposed on them. They are purpose-driven leaders who look past the barriers and obstacles that stand between them and their mission. They know themselves, and they use their self-awareness to move toward what matters most. Boundless leaders don’t operate without boundaries. They carefully define their boundaries, own their journey, and lead in authentic ways.
Ready to unlock your full potential as a leader by embracing this leadership style? Here’s how:
Drop the Act: Show up as you, not your aspirations. Share your challenges, admit mistakes, and be honest about what you don’t know.
Ask, Don’t Assume: Don’t hand out answers. Invite your team’s input to tap their potential and discover fresh perspectives.
Listen Like You Mean It: Give your team your full attention. Listening is one of the most underrated forms of respect.
Make Your Values Visible: Consistently align your actions with your core values. When your team sees you live out your values, they’ll feel safer doing the same.
Celebrate Vulnerability: Create a culture where it’s safe to be real. Make space for your team to bring their authentic selves to work, too.
Most of all - remember - you don’t have to do this alone.
Conclusion
Authentic leadership starts with you—your self-awareness, your courage, and your commitment to leading from your values.
Are you ready to build trust, foster innovation, and drive meaningful results? Let’s talk. Schedule a complimentary 20-minute connect with me today and start your journey toward leadership that feels true to who you are.