To be an authentic leader, you should always speak your mind. Unfortunately, you’ll encounter a major challenge in doing so: speaking your mind doesn’t always translate well to being effective. It’s always best — while remaining authentic, when listening to others — to take a step back, LISTEN, analyze what is being said, and only then offer a response that doesn’t alienate others, but makes them feel heard and considered. This works, not only when good ideas are presented to you, but also for not-so-great ideas that are floated your way — especially if a bad idea is being presented to you in front a group of people, like in a staff meeting or in a board of directors session.
The main challenge to being an authentic communicator and leader breaks down as follows: Knowing what to say (being authentic) and using the right words at the right time (being effective).
Always keep in mind that being authentic doesn’t mean blurting out the first thing that pops into your mind. Being authentic is only one part of being true to who you are. Being effective is equally important. In my video, What are the Challenges of Being an Authentic Communicator & Leader?, I’ll teach you how to be more thoughtful and less impulsive, which will naturally lead you to being an authentic communicator and leader while remaining effective.
Strategies that Turn It Around!
- Self-realization. At some point, you’ve had or will have an incredible Aha! moment. A moment in which you realize that authentic leadership is a function of self-knowledge and self-realization. This will cause you to intimately know what your hot buttons are. Subsequently, you’ll know when someone or something is pushing on those buttons. And more importantly, you’ll know how to react.
- Ask the tough questions. The first step to self-realization is the ability to listen. It’s only when you have learned to listen that you can start to authentically ask tough questions of others. This is especially important when someone offers an idea about something that, at first, sounds a little ridiculous. “I’m trying to understand where you’re going with your idea. Can you please expand on the process of developing this idea?” “I can’t visualize how your idea will work. Can you expand a little more so it’s clear what your objective is in doing this?”
- Consider how you make others feel. Authentic leaders aren’t born or draw their power from what they know, but in how they make people feel. This means being able to stay true to yourself, while you make others feel good about themselves — especially in tough situations.
Remember: Authentic leaders draw their power not from what they know, but in how they make other people feel.
Have you ever struggled with being an authentic communicator? Or have you had problems balancing being authentic with being effective? Please share your experiences in the Comments section below. I look forward to engaging with you and your comments.