Authentic Leadership

Authentic Leadership has become a buzz word, increasingly popular with young professionals. But what is authentic leadership all about? The leadership theory starts with “knowing thy self.” Most importantly it is understanding authenticity and then choosing to enable authenticity within daily interactions and intentions. Leaders acting strong and unapproachable is a thing of the past. Some find authentic leadership challenging because it can mean admitting flaws or being tough with someone we value. However, when authentic leadership is mission-focused it has proven to foster trust, loyalty, and a high level of output. 

I first learned about authentic leadership in my Business Leadership class, and I found it resonated with me because I have high respect for people who can see both positives and negatives of themselves and the people around them. I know I work best when I have a clear understanding of who I am working with or for. I appreciate knowing that someone will be direct with me and their intentions are genuine. Therefore I began to enact authentic leadership in my life on a daily basis. After taking Personal Leadership through Self-Inquiry, I was asked to write a mission statement and do an action-based leadership research project. After taking some time to reflect I realized how important being authentic had become to me. That is why you will find authenticity in my mission statement. 

What does authentic leadership look like to me? It means asking questions, seeking help, and allowing others to know you are unsure. It means being honest with yourself about your strengths and weaknesses, and reassessing yourself frequently. It means giving credit where it is due, standing up for yourself and others, and always keeping long-term goals in mind. While using authenticity in my relationships, I find people who are not authentic with themselves have a hard time accepting or believing my position. This is why I feel it is impactful to continue to educate and inform others about authentic leadership. Most importantly authentic leadership is about understanding ones self, I have learned a lot about myself through different study abroad experiences. Facing new challenges and exposing myself to new environments is something I hold at my core and will continue to do.