Tips On Why Is Authentic Leadership Important In The Workplace?
All businesses need authentic leaders. Why is authentic leadership important in the workplace? Read on to find out.
Hi Trish Davies here and today I want to focus on authentic leadership. So why is authentic leadership important in the workplace?
Authentic leadership is a philosophy and set of practices that prioritize the individual, their values, and beliefs. Authentic leaders act with integrity rather than focusing on results or how they appear to others.
They are self-aware and understand what they believe in, where they want to go in life, and what they stand for as a person. Authentic leaders also have high levels of self-confidence and aren’t afraid to show their true selves to their team members.
These leaders are unapologetic in who they are as a person and take ownership of their actions. As a result, team members feel safe around them because there are no ulterior motives or manipulations.
In addition, authentic leaders have the ability to be open about mistakes and when necessary own up to them.
Why Is Authentic Leadership Important In The Workplace?
The idea behind authentic leadership is that the best leaders are authentic in their approach. This means they are confident enough to be who they are and communicate their vision and values in a meaningful way to their team.
In a workplace environment where everyone is happy, engaged, and productive, authentic leadership is important. Why? Because it fosters a culture of collaboration and creative problem solving.
Authentic leadership is particularly important for Millennials and Gen Z. That’s because this demographic has been known to seek out workplaces that place a high value on the authentic qualities of their leaders.
Millennials and Gen Z prefer to work for companies that have transparent and authentic leadership. That’s because it shows commitment to their employees and encourages trust and loyalty.
Authentic leadership also helps teams increase productivity and innovation. It also gives team members a sense of purpose and ensures that these employees feel heard and appreciated.
Authentic leadership also has positive impacts on customer relationships. Authentic leaders aren’t just focused on what’s best for their employees, but also on what’s best for their customers.
This can help your business gain a competitive edge and earn customer loyalty.
How To Foster Authentic Leadership In The Workplace
The easiest way to foster authentic leadership in the workplace is to hire authentic leaders. However, not everyone will be upfront and intentional about who they are as a leader on a job interview or employment application.
As a result, there are a few strategies you can use to help identify authentic leaders and promote their growth. These strategies include:
Screening for Authentic Leadership – Before hiring anyone, make sure you’re screening for authentic leadership. You can do this by giving candidates a personality test.
These types of tests can help you understand who the person is and how they might behave in certain situations. You can also use assessments, such as 360-degree reviews and employee surveys.
This will identify authentic leadership qualities in your team members.
Promoting a Culture of Feedback – In every company, there needs to be a culture of feedback. This includes feedback from leaders to their team members and vice versa.
Authentic leaders will be open to feedback, even if it’s negative, and use it to grow and become a better leader. Feedback should be given in a constructive way, and authentic leaders will understand that this is how they can improve.
Creating a Safe Space for Feedback – While feedback is important, authentic leaders need to know that they can receive this type of feedback in a safe way.
Without a safe space for feedback, authentic leaders may feel like they can’t be themselves. This might cause them to become disengaged from their job or feel the need to leave your company.
Why Is Authentic Leadership So Challenging?
While authentic leadership is important, it can also be quite challenging to foster in the workplace. This is because authentic leaders are confident in who they are and aren’t afraid to challenge the status quo.
This can be problematic in some environments, such as those that promote conformity and don’t allow team members to be themselves.
Authentic leaders might feel like they’re being held back or held down by the company’s culture. This is why it’s important for managers at all levels to cultivate an environment that supports authentic leadership.
Doing so will help your team members feel heard and appreciated. Also it will foster an environment of open communication and creative problem solving.
3 Strategies For Developing Authentic Leaders
Manage Expectations – Managing expectations is especially important for leaders who are new to the role.
It doesn’t matter whether you’re hiring a new leader or promoting an existing team member. You need to make sure that person understands the role and is ready to take on the responsibility.
One way to do this is by creating a job description and making sure the new leader is aware of their role and responsibilities. Another way to manage expectations is by giving the new or promoted leader an opportunity to set their own goals for the future.
This will give the new or promoted leader a chance to let you know what they want to accomplish in the role. Also to demonstrate confidence in their ability to do so.
Provide Opportunities for Mentorship – All team members, especially leaders, need mentors. This is especially true for authentic leaders because they are in the process of developing new skills and increasing their self-awareness.
By having a mentor, authentic leaders can receive advice and feedback on how they can improve their skills. Having a mentor will help leaders navigate the challenges of being authentic, while also feeling supported and appreciated in the process.
You can offer mentorships to both new and existing team members. However, it may be more challenging to find mentors for your new leaders if you don’t have a formal mentorship program in place.
Celebrate Your Leaders – Leadership is not just about skills; it’s also about values and character. As a leader, you need to be able to celebrate your team members for their authentic qualities.
When you celebrate your leaders, they feel valued and appreciated, which helps them feel confident in their abilities. This also sends a message to the rest of the team that celebrating authentic traits is important to the company.
Why Is Authentic Leadership Important In The Workplace? – Conclusion
Authentic leadership is important to foster in the workplace because it fosters a culture of open communication and creative problem solving.
This is especially true for Millennials and Gen Z, who seek out companies that prioritize authentic leadership.
By managing expectations, providing mentorship opportunities, and celebrating your leaders. You can then promote authentic leadership among your team members.
Helping you build your authenticity, authority and audience.
Trish Davies
Build Your AU
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