Aiming to be highly authentic leads us to filter less. (3) Feeling inferior. Studies in companies and controlled experiments show that people are less creative and less helpful when they work for highly authentic leaders who have a strong sense of their values.
The definition of authenticity refers to the proven fact that something is legitimate or real. If no one questions the fact that the desk was made in the 14th century because experts determined it was, that is an example of its authenticity.
Six Ways to Connect with Your Authentic Self Today
- Be a good zoo-keeper. When your physical self is content it's easier to connect with your Authentic Self.
- Listen to your body. Because your body is an animal, it cannot lie to you.
- Shut The Should Up.
- Try Not Trying.
- Tell the truth.
- Gather your tribe.
Authenticity is ultimately about those qualities that show healthy non-defensive functioning and psychological maturity. Those are the qualities we need to look for. To find out more about authenticity, check out my new book, Authentic: How to Be Yourself and Why it Matters.
Five Ways to be Fully Authentic
- Don't lie.
- But don't always speak the truth.
- Let your body point you towards what is true for you.
- Stay in your own truth—and out of other people's business.
- Accept the ugly bits of yourself, including the difficult emotions.
An authentic person is defined as someone who isn't afraid to be true to who they are, including their personality, values, and principles in life. They don't bother compromising the entirety of who they are just for the comfort of others.
The importance of authenticity can be evidenced by its strong links with well-being. More specifically, being authentic results in more positive emotions, greater life satisfaction, feelings of greater autonomy and control, a greater sense of purpose and greater self-acceptance (Wood, et al., 2008).
Authentic leadership emphasizes transparency, genuineness and honesty. Authentic leaders build authentic relationships and inspire trust and motivation in their employees.
Level 5 leadership is a concept developed in the book Good to Great. Level 5 leaders display a powerful mixture of personal humility and indomitable will. They're incredibly ambitious, but their ambition is first and foremost for the cause, for the organization and its purpose, not themselves.
Authentic leadership can be learned with one caveat. Leaders can learn self awareness, they can learn how to be analytical and to trust other's opinions when making decisions. Above all, to be effective, a leader must have the trust of their followers.
Leadership success starts with authenticity — doing our jobs without compromising our values and personality. People trust us when we are true to ourselves, and that trust makes it possible to get things done.
One of my favorite examples of an authentic leader is Martin Luther King, Jr. He fought violence with nonviolence through the Civil Rights Movement. One of his highest values was nonviolence, no matter how ugly and violent others were to him and his cause.
Owen Fitzpatrick. Over the last twenty years, much of the research on leadership skills has concluded that authenticity is a critical skill. Authenticity can be defined as the process of being who you are and letting others see the real you. Sometimes it is easier to understand a concept by its opposite.
Not being true to your authentic self can result in anxiety, depression, frustration, addiction, and a lack of meaning and fulfillment in your life.
The 5 Mindsets That Block Authenticity and How to Ditch Them. Mindset: You have a constant need to please and be liked by others. You don't speak-up and voice your true opinion out of fear of not being liked or not pleasing others. Barrier: You don't take risks because you fear what others will think of you.
Your authentic self is who you truly are as a person, regardless of your occupation, regardless of the influence of others, it is an honest representation of you. To be authentic means not caring what others think about you. To be authentic is to be true to yourself through your thoughts, words and actions.
