A couple of my clients have been tested by their company culture and environments recently. It was challenging for them to realize that, even with their advanced leadership skills, something was missing – trust.
Both leaders thought that they had excellent managers who trusted them, however in an environment of rapid change and high pressure the trust dissipated.
On exploring the problem, these leaders discovered that they had distanced themselves from their people through neglecting a simple leadership rule of being authentic about their own stress. They tried to portray that everything was going well, but that isn’t what their managers perceived.
Being authentic is the ability to:
• Acknowledge the difficulties everyone is experiencing, including your own.
• Show appreciation for the genuine endeavors being made by others.
• Share your concerns and elicit help for finding solutions.
The authentic leader is:
• Truthful
• Humble
• Kind
Tough leaders don’t always have to be strong. They have to be authentic. When you have doubts and find yourself “toughing it”, I can help you be human again. Contact me today at lyn@lyncikara.com!