Leaders who relate to their teams and inspire action are critical to business success. According to a study in the Leadership and Organization Development Journal, employees' perception of authentic leadership serves as the strongest predictor of job satisfaction and positively impacts work-related attitudes and happiness.
In addition, research detailed in the Harvard Business Review shows that a majority of employees believe authenticity in the workplace leads to benefits such as:
- Better relationships with colleagues
- Higher levels of trust
- Greater productivity
- A more positive working environment
For professionals aiming to advance their careers and make a lasting impact on their firms, investing the time and effort into becoming an authentic leader can be immensely valuable.
But what characterizes authentic leadership, and why is it a worthy pursuit? Here are five traits of authentic leaders offered by Harvard Business School Professor Nancy Koehn, who teaches a sample online leadership lesson about legendary explorer Ernest Shackleton.
What Is Authentic Leadership?
Authentic leadership is a leadership style exhibited by individuals who have high standards of integrity, take responsibility for their actions, and make decisions based on principle rather than short-term success. They use their inner compasses to guide their daily actions, which enables them to earn the trust of their employees, peers, and shareholders—creating approachable work environments and boosting team performance.
Authentic leadership’s key differentiator is the motivation behind it. An authentic leader strives to create a meaningful relationship with their team as they work toward goals related to their organization's mission and purpose—not just its bottom line.
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1. They’re Committed to Bettering Themselves
Becoming an authentic, successful leader requires first focusing on bettering yourself.
“Authentic leaders begin with the will and commitment within to work on themselves,” Koehn says. “They’re not trying to be perfect or to somehow spring from the rib of Zeus into an iconic individual; but rather, they say, ‘Day by day and week by week, I’m going to work on myself.’ This commitment—made with oneself—is the most important starting characteristic.”
Investing in yourself through such avenues as taking an online course can be a way to acquire the knowledge and skills needed to feel more confident in your leadership role and help your team thrive. Participating in leadership training can also enable you to build a network you can lean on throughout your career.
Related: 3 Benefits of Leadership Training for Professionals
2. They Cultivate Self-Awareness
A keen sense of self-awareness is one of the most important traits a leader can possess. Moreover, research by consulting firm Korn Ferry shows companies that employ professionals with high levels of self-awareness tend to perform better financially.
According to Koehn, cultivating this foundational component of emotional intelligence involves asking yourself questions such as:
- What am I experiencing?
- What are my strengths?
- How am I showing up in the world?
Through looking inward and engaging in self-assessment, you can not only gain insight into your emotions and beliefs throughout your leadership journey, but improve your understanding of those held by others.
3. They’re Disciplined
Being an authentic leader requires more than just building self-awareness—you need to put it into practice, too. That requires discipline.
Make it a point to check in with yourself as you complete daily tasks—such as delivering feedback and communicating with colleagues—to ensure you’re bringing self-awareness to your role.
With a stronger sense of your motivations and limitations, you can identify your personal leadership style and chart a professional development plan that capitalizes on your strengths and rectifies your weaknesses.
4. They’re Mission-Driven
A deep and abiding commitment to a mission is integral to both authentic leadership and business success. According to a survey by EY and Harvard Business Review Analytic Services, 89 percent of executives say a sense of collective purpose drives employee engagement, and 84 percent say it leads to greater success in transformational efforts.
As you progress through the different stages of your leadership trajectory, consider what issues and challenges motivate you to take action, and empower others to do the same.
Koehn says that while identifying your mission can take time, it’s a worthwhile pursuit.
“Some leaders—like the abolitionist Frederick Douglass—discover their mission early on,” Koehn says. “Others—like environmental crusader Rachel Carson or newspaper publisher Katharine Graham—stumble into it. Recognizing a mighty purpose and embracing this is critically important.”
5. They Inspire Faith
Gaining colleagues’ trust and influencing them to believe in and mobilize around a mission is a key tenet of effective leadership.
“The last—but by no means least—characteristic of authentic leadership is a willingness to take a leap of faith when things are difficult,” Koehn says. “To help your followers believe the mission is worthy of pushing forward—even in the face of unexpected hurdles—and that the vast future ahead of them, as Lincoln said, is worth fighting for, being inspired by, and identifying with.”
Whether communicating organizational change or assessing the potential challenges of scaling a venture, be transparent with your employees and tap into their motivational drivers.
The Importance of Authentic Leadership
As more organizations commit to purpose and make authenticity paramount to their business strategy, enhancing your leadership capabilities can be a boon to your career.
“It’s what we’re thirsty for now,” Koehn says. “We’re looking for leaders who can help us make a leap of faith and be integral to creating a better world—and to believe this is worthy of doing and possible.”
No matter where you are professionally, taking the time to commit to bettering yourself, heightening your emotional intelligence, putting your leadership skills into practice, and embracing a mission can lead to substantial returns—for yourself, your team, and your organization.
Do you want to elevate your leadership skills? Download our free e-book on how to become a more effective leader, and explore our online leadership and management courses.
This post was updated on January 24, 2023. It was originally published on December 10, 2019.
