Who Holds the Leader? Why Authentic Leadership Needs Trusted Challenge
Publication: Authentic Leadership | decision making | leadership | leadership isolation | mentoring
Recently, several senior leaders have asked me for advice as they navigated genuinely difficult situations. There were complex relationships, competing expectations and decisions with no obvious or risk-free answer. I asked questions and challenged assumptions, offered analysis and different perspectives, and we worked through options. Yet when they later reflected on what had helped the […]
When Silence Costs You Influence
Publication: Authentic Leadership | Courageous leadership | Leadership Influence | Leadership Integrity
Over the years, you will have likely heard the advice that it’s important to know when to speak up and when to stay silent. As a leader once shared with me, “I know what I think, but I’m just careful about when I say it.” On the surface, it is sound advice. But as we […]
Beyond “Fake It Till You Make It”: Building Anchored Confidence at Work
Publication: Authentic Leadership | Intellectual Humility | Leadership Confidence | Leadership Development | Self Trust
In many workplaces, confidence is treated as a kind of currency. The person who speaks first, fastest, and with the most conviction is often assumed to be the most capable. The leader who sounds certain is seen as more credible than the one who pauses, weighs the evidence, and names the risks. Confidence, at least […]
The Authenticity Paradox: Why Being “Too Yourself” Can Hold You Back
Publication: Adaptive Authenticity | Authentic Leadership | Authenticity Paradox
For years, leaders have been told to “bring their whole self to work.” It’s become one of the most popular refrains in modern leadership discourse. It appears in TED Talks, company value statements, and coaching conversations. However, taken at face value, that advice can backfire. Authenticity matters, but only when it’s coupled with self-awareness, discernment, […]
What’s your authenticity gap?
Publication: Authentic discovery | Authentic Leadership | Self-Awareness
As organisations confront a constantly changing future mixed with uncertainty and opportunity, they need leaders willing to embrace who they are and be comfortable not having all the answers. In short, they need to be authentic. Bain’s The Firm of the Future report outlined the shifts to the existing paradigms underpinning businesses. Much of this still holds today, […]
Who are you really?
Publication: Authentic Leadership | Personal values | Work Integrity
If you missed it, yesterday was World Values day. Yes, that was news to me too. I didn’t realise we had such a day. Then when I thought about it, I thought ‘How awesome is that!’ Think about it: How often do you spend time consciously thinking about your values? That is, what drives you and […]
Do you know what you stand for?
Publication: Authentic Leadership | Leadership Integrity | Personal values | Trust Building
It was the brilliant Oscar Wilde who said: “Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.” And yet in many quarters of society we see people who lose their voice and authenticity in an attempt to be liked by everyone or to appease both sides of an ideological divide. The same thing happens to people working […]