Why you should be an authentic leader

Greg Kirwan discusses the importance of being an authentic leader

In today’s world of work, leaders need to be more resilient than ever. The impact of the pandemic and a widely dispersed workforce have had major repercussions on the way leaders and their teams need to operate. It’s essential for leaders to be future fit and have the necessary tools at their disposal so that their actions are empirically proven to stabilise organisations. Leaders also need to be able to inspire, influence, and transform teams, be courageous and authentic, and increasingly need to change or strengthen the culture within teams.

In this series, Olivier Mythodrama’s CEO Greg Kirwan looks at how leadership teams can make a positive impact, what happens when leaders get it wrong, how they can overcome challenges and why they need to be future fit.

I often talk to leaders and teams who feel scared to bring their true self into the workplace. They think they’ll be seen as vulnerable and lose their power to influence others. The opposite is often true. Leaders who are not authentic are often seen as not being genuine, they promise a lot but don’t see anything through. They talk about the importance of developing their teams, they want to push through new ideas, but often nothing actually happens.

So, how can you be an authentic leader and how will this help support your team?

It’s important that you know who you are. You can’t be authentic if you don’t know who you are and what you believe in. Being aware of yourself and what’s around you enables you to understand your strengths and weaknesses and act on them as necessary. It also allows you to be more open with your colleagues meaning they’ll feel more able to talk to you and share any concerns they may have.

As I’ve said before, communication is key to a successful workforce and working environment, but it is also a great way to show your authenticity.  Keeping lines of communication open and sharing important information with your team is a great way to build trust, empower your team and motivate them to work alongside you.

Trust is another factor that features a lot in this series of articles. It’s an important trait for every leader to possess as it features in every aspect of your role. If your team trust you as a leader, they will often go the extra mile to support you and be more willing to listen and follow your lead especially during uncertain times. You need to make sure you invest the time in getting to know your team, so that they can get to know you as well.

Being present can be a challenge, there are so many daily distractions that take your attention away but taking the time to stop and listen to yourself and your colleagues puts you where you’re needed at that time. Being present helps you and your team. You become a more effective and creative leader, you earn respect and trust, and you build better relationships with your team.

Olivier Mythodrama has been delivering innovative and thought provoking leadership training for over 20 years. The people and organisations we have worked with describe our training as life changing. We think they’re right. We already work with some of the world’s leading businesses. Are you ready to join them?

Olivier Mythodrama has been delivering innovative and thought provoking leadership training for over 20 years. The people and organisations we have worked with describe our training as life changing. We think they’re right. We already work with some of the world’s leading businesses. Are you ready to join them?