2009 Series Lead To Win No 3 : Authentic Leadership - Purpose, Values, Heart, Relationships & Self-Discipline
To become authentic, each of us has to develop our own leadership style. Unfortunately, the pressures of an organization push us to adhere to its normative style. But if we conform to a style that is not consistent with who we are, we will never become authentic leaders. - Bill George
Bill George, former chairman and CEO of Medtronic authored Authentic Leadership. In it he says:
AUTHENTIC LEADERS DEMONSTRATE THE FOLLOWING QUALITIES:
* Understanding their PURPOSE (passion) - If you lack purpose and direction in leading why would anyone want to follow you?
* Practicing solid VALUES (behaviors) - The values of a leader are shaped by their personal beliefs, developed through study, introspection, & consultation with others and requires 100% integrity.
* Leading with HEART (compassion) - Engage the minds & hearts of your employees through a sense of purpose. Greatness (& results!) are achieved when more than just our minds contribute to the task.
* Establishing connected RELATIONSHIPS (networks) - A detached leadership style often used when providing strategy or delegating will not lead to success as much as developing close and enduring relationships will.
* Demonstrating SELF-DISCIPLINE (consistency) - Converting values into consistent actions lends itself to building respect. We must admit our mistakes & not let ego or emotion impact our actions.
QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF:
1. What's the purpose of my leadership? Do I really want to devote my talents to business?
2. How can I find a job where I can make a real difference?
3. Do I have to check my values at the office door?
4. Is it possible to have a meaningful career and successful family life? Is it worth it to work so hard?
5. How can I stay true to my values when there are so many pressures to compromise?
6. Can I develop close relationships with my subordinates and still achieve my objectives?
Authentic leadership is leadership that can be trusted; that is, in fact, as it is represented. In the business environment, authentic leadership is a fundamental requirement for generating peak performance. Some companies can make money, even in the absence of authentic leadership, but they can't come close to realizing their full potential without it.
- Daniel D. Elash, PhD
Bill George provides the following definition of authentic; "genuine, worthy of trust, reliance, or belief".
Do you view yourself as an authentic leader? Would your direct reports agree? What about your immediate boss and their chain of command? Do you view them as authentic?
We all have our own style, behaviors, and passions. Ideally we are given the opportunity to be ourselves, but how do we handle it when we need to conform to differing styles?
Stepping out of our comfort zone can help us grow & expand our skills. This is positive.
Having to adapt to differing styles that impact our ability to be authentic will cause stress and anxiety. This obviously is not positive.
So what can we do? We need to first validate what's important to us, know what motivates us, and have clearly defined vision, mission and goals both professionally and personally.
We need to assess the roles we play and the positions we have. If we exclude being true to ourselves and don't have a balanced life both at work and home, and we'll never become truly authentic.
Bill George, former chairman and CEO of Medtronic authored Authentic Leadership. In it he says:
AUTHENTIC LEADERS DEMONSTRATE THE FOLLOWING QUALITIES:
* Understanding their PURPOSE (passion) - If you lack purpose and direction in leading why would anyone want to follow you?
* Practicing solid VALUES (behaviors) - The values of a leader are shaped by their personal beliefs, developed through study, introspection, & consultation with others and requires 100% integrity.
* Leading with HEART (compassion) - Engage the minds & hearts of your employees through a sense of purpose. Greatness (& results!) are achieved when more than just our minds contribute to the task.
* Establishing connected RELATIONSHIPS (networks) - A detached leadership style often used when providing strategy or delegating will not lead to success as much as developing close and enduring relationships will.
* Demonstrating SELF-DISCIPLINE (consistency) - Converting values into consistent actions lends itself to building respect. We must admit our mistakes & not let ego or emotion impact our actions.
QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF:
1. What's the purpose of my leadership? Do I really want to devote my talents to business?
2. How can I find a job where I can make a real difference?
3. Do I have to check my values at the office door?
4. Is it possible to have a meaningful career and successful family life? Is it worth it to work so hard?
5. How can I stay true to my values when there are so many pressures to compromise?
6. Can I develop close relationships with my subordinates and still achieve my objectives?
Authentic leadership is leadership that can be trusted; that is, in fact, as it is represented. In the business environment, authentic leadership is a fundamental requirement for generating peak performance. Some companies can make money, even in the absence of authentic leadership, but they can't come close to realizing their full potential without it.
- Daniel D. Elash, PhD
Bill George provides the following definition of authentic; "genuine, worthy of trust, reliance, or belief".
Do you view yourself as an authentic leader? Would your direct reports agree? What about your immediate boss and their chain of command? Do you view them as authentic?
We all have our own style, behaviors, and passions. Ideally we are given the opportunity to be ourselves, but how do we handle it when we need to conform to differing styles?
Stepping out of our comfort zone can help us grow & expand our skills. This is positive.
Having to adapt to differing styles that impact our ability to be authentic will cause stress and anxiety. This obviously is not positive.
So what can we do? We need to first validate what's important to us, know what motivates us, and have clearly defined vision, mission and goals both professionally and personally.
We need to assess the roles we play and the positions we have. If we exclude being true to ourselves and don't have a balanced life both at work and home, and we'll never become truly authentic.
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