Recently I was meeting with two leaders of a large corporation. They shared with me about a leader in their company who is known for having a great influence on others. People pay attention when she speaks and follow her. As we discussed what makes her such an influential leader, they both agreed that her defining characteristic is that she is genuine and authentic.
In a previous article, I shared how humility along with reflective thinking practices can help you be innovative and a thought leader. We can have great ideas and thoughts, but unless others are open to listening and following us, those great ideas will not go anywhere. Leaders of influence are those who know how to BE genuine and authentic. Here are three principles for being an authentic leader of influence.
Embrace Your Limitations
Now as a leader, you may feel some push back about embracing your limitations. Aren’t leaders supposed to overcome any obstacle and rise above any challenge? The same day that I met with the two leaders from the large corporation that I mentioned above, I also met with two other clients who are the executive leaders for their organizations. In our separate conversations, both of these leaders referred to an experience where they “hit their wall.” They had both been on the verge of burnout. One of them repeatedly used the word of being “depleted” by others. Another talked about the weight of responsibility she felt.
When they “hit their wall,” they both realized how they had false beliefs that kept them trying to do it all. One expressed that she knew that as a leader she is responsible, but that she does not have to own it all herself. The other person expressed that as challenges in the organization grew she thought as a leader she had to keep stepping up, which kept others from stepping up. In humility, they both realized that they are limited and that this is okay. What is critical is how as a leader you handle moving past “hitting your wall.” How do you embrace your limitations?
What Not to Do: Don’t Be Prescriptive
A common first reaction to facing our limitations is to try to find a way to control it. Embracing our limitations puts us in the face of the unknown. We try to control the unknown by having a plan. I can often do this myself. An example is when I give a presentation I can become so prescriptive about what I will say that my heart behind the words does not come out.
What to Do: Be Vulnerable
When we are vulnerable, our authenticity is at its highest. When we are being authentic, truly genuine, is when we are the most influential with people. When we embrace our limitations, we have a choice. We can try to hide our limitations, which can lead to burn-out, manipulating others, blaming others and the list can go on. Hiding our limitations lessens our influence. The other choice is to be real about who we are and our boundaries.
For the two executive leaders that I shared about before, they both became honest with their teams about their limitations and asked for help. They both were amazed at how their teams responded by stepping up and owning the responsibilities ahead of them. Their authenticity through their vulnerability led to influence. But they both gained an even greater dividend. When authenticity is lived, trust is gained which flows into an on-going wealth of influence. How can you be more authentic today?