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LEADERSHIP ESSENTIALS: TIP 22

Writer's picture: James RuleJames Rule

Updated: Jul 1, 2022


Peer pressure permeates so many aspects of our lives. We feel a pressure to conform, to live, act and lead in the way that society expects us to. In our desire to fit in we can be tempted to disown our values. It is imperative that we resist that pressure!




We all have a set of signature strengths. These core characteristics are the ones that come most naturally to us. To live and lead with authenticity we must align our words and actions with these signature strengths. This in turn elicits a feeling of engagement and aliveness.


Authenticity is a critical Leadership Essential. Finding our authentic voice and leadership style yields numerous benefits:


Health and wellbeing


Science has proved that a key way to find greater happiness and wellbeing is ensure we are aligned with our signature strengths. Conversely, when we lose that alignment we are likely to disempower our mindset and erode our energy at best and in more severe cases, become depressed.


Relationships


To lead effectively a leader needs to develop relationships and a primary driver in this process is trust. Staff get a sense when their leader is being inauthentic and that erodes trust. Conversely when they feel their leader is aligned with their values and they are seeing the real person, it fosters a deeper level of trust and connection.


Clarity


Most leaders have to work with large and diverse stakeholder groups. It is impossible to please everybody all of the time. Attempting to do so is futile and can be incredibly draining in terms of physical and mental energy. We cannot be “all things to all men.”


Staying true to our signature strengths and leading with authenticity acts as a form of ‘North Star’ - a guiding light that helps bring clarity to the plethora of decisions that need to be made on a daily basis.


Resilience


Every leader will face challenges and be compelled to lead through periods of adversity. Remaining true to their authentic self in words and actions helps maintain their self belief and faith in their ability. The knowledge that they are aligned with their signature strengths enables them to act decisively and with real determination.



Have you ever reflected on what your signature strengths are? Are you aligning your words and actions to those strengths to bring the authentic you to your professional role and personal life?



To find out how we can help you find this alignment email hello@thelonelyleader.co.uk




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