What are the 4 components of authentic leadership?
Authentic leadership is a management style associated with sincere and transparent ethical behavior that considers the input of others in decision-making. This type of leadership promotes effective open communication and stronger collaboration across teams. As a result, it contributes to creating a positive work environment for everyone.
There are four components to attaining an authentic style of leadership:
- Self-Awareness
Knowing yourself is a prerequisite to being an authentic leader. You should know your limitations, strengths and personal values. As a leader, decision-making will become part of your daily routine. Knowing what you are good at and accepting your weaknesses, you can make decisions that reflect your true self. If you know you aren't good in a certain area, you are not afraid to seek assistance from others.
Self-awareness comes in handy when dealing with conflicts and difficult situations. It can give you more confidence to make the right decisions.
- Relational Transparency
It's important to be honest and sincere when dealing with others especially if you are a leader. This is what relational transparency is about. When you say something, you should mean it. You shouldn't say something with hidden intentions as it causes misunderstandings and frustrations.
Being genuine is important as it allows your team members to know where you stand. It also cultivates a culture of honesty among your team.
- Balanced approach
A balanced approach is when you solicit and consider opposing viewpoints when faced with conflicts. It's an important component of being an authentic leader because a balanced approach prevents you from making biases and impulsive decisions that you may just regret later on.
To exercise a balanced approach, you need to consider all possible options and hear what your team has to say. This is useful when making important decisions that can affect the team. This approach to leadership promotes trust and engagement.
- Good moral values
To be an authentic leader, you should have an ethical core and make it your goal to uphold ethical standards. It's important to be grounded in good values and use them in leading your team. When your team members see that you have a strong moral character, they will trust you. This in turn improves engagement which is necessary to succeed as a team.
Authentic leadership promotes a positive culture within the organization. It keeps the team engaged, motivated and enthusiastic. If you want to apply this leadership style, Change Works can help you. We offer a program called Leading with Authenticity designed for leaders and future leaders who want to lead with authenticity.