By: Haneen Farid

We often say a leader is someone who creates a safe environment to allow people to openly share their thoughts and feelings. This environment is created by establishing trust, and once this is established… people can rise and they are able to transform their life by unlocking their potential!

Now the question I have for you is, how could authenticity facilitate this approach?! 

Firstly, let’s ask ourselves what authenticity is and how the role it plays in creating that safe environment we are talking about.

We need to start by understanding that when we interact with people… what’s visible to them, are our attitudes and behaviours, which are driven by our values and beliefs, which usually are invisible!

If a leader tries to hide their true personality from their people, this can create confusion, and as a result, jeopardise trust.

Leadership is not acting; it is more about being.

When we are authentic, we are in tune with ourselves and we are in alignment with our values! We have a strong sense of self-awareness, we acknowledge our strengths and weaknesses, and we don’t hide our mistakes or weaknesses out of the fear of looking weak.

We are genuine, and this is perceived by others!

People will then feel safe to be themselves around authentic leaders!

Remember that authentic leaders lead with their heart. This doesn’t mean they switch off their mind, but quite the opposite – they align their heart with their mind. They are not afraid to share their emotions and emotions (their energy in motion).

Therefore, the more authentic we are the more approachable we become. 

We choose authenticity because: 

• The authentic leader is passionate with a purpose
• Their behaviour is driven by the values 
• They don’t shy away from connecting with people, they build relationships 
• Consistency is key and it’s shown by their self-disciplined 
• And most importantly they are compassionate, they are connected to their heart! 

So that’s why we should always choose authenticity, my friends.