Does 'looking good' have a place where leadership is concerned? The 'looking good' I am talking about is not how one presents themselves as a leader. I am talking about being inauthentic. 'Looking Good' is rife within the coaching industry and I for one am committed to bringing a level of unprecedented authenticity to this industry.
I also believe there is an element of 'looking good' impacting the essence of true leadership. As leaders we have the responsibility of walking our own talk. I more than most get what this takes. To ask of another what you are unwilling to do yourself has its consequences. I wish to explore today why some leaders struggle with being authentic and also provide some advice on what I feel would make a difference.
In Business
1) One is not encouraged to be vulnerable, especially at the leadership level - to be authentic one needs to be vulnerable
2) We have expectations of leaders at times that are unrealistic - after all, being a leader does not make us infallible, we are human too at the end of the day
3) Letting down our guard would mean not being strong, not having what it takes, displaying a level of instability to the façade that is expected at a leadership level
4) Expecting others to walk their talk yet unwilling to walk our own is always in questions when looking good plays a part
5) Being preoccupied with what others think within the organization if you as the leadership were to display traits outside the norm
What do I recommend?
1) Do things differently gets different results - novel concept but so true - everyday do something different as a leader and see the evidence that will be produced out of stepping into the unknown
2) Trusting that your intuition as a leader is almighty powerful. We often operate over the top of what is there intuitively and I believe this is the key cornerstone to truly growing as a leader
3) What others think of you is none of your business - if you truly are aligned with your values and operate with authenticity 100% of the time, those who judge you says more about them than it does about you
4) To be admired as a leader takes courage, takes stamina, takes wisdom, take's going beyond the norms of traditional leadership. We as leaders have a responsibility to grow to a level of unconscious competency to then be able to lead others to do the same - for this to happen we have to form a integrated relationship with the unknown realm
5) Vulnerability is our biggest strength as a leader, not our biggest weakness - we cannot find the evidence in this regard until we truly step into the realm of being vulnerable - by being vulnerable I am not meaning to display weakness, quite the contrary, its means to display your biggest strength
When I talk with my Executive clients about being 'clean' I am not talking about hygiene, I do not mean to sound humorous here - I am talking about never being 'out' - consider as a leader you set the scene, set the example, on how your organization and direct reports operate.
By walking your own talk will enable others to walk there's - so my questions to you today are this:-
1) Are you clean in how you operate personally and professionally? If not, why not?
2) Are you operating over the top of anything and to date have not had the courage to confront what is there for you?
3) What is your current relationship with vulnerability - do you relate to it as a weakness or a strength?
I will leave you in the inquiry!
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Sally Anderson is a Leadership Coach/Leadership Retreat Facilitator/Keynote Speaker/Author/Seminar Leader/Master Coach Trainer http://www.sally-anderson.com
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