Thoughts on Authentic Leadership By Holly Moore

Authenticity is Built on Trust

The leaders who impacted me the most early in my career led authentically. I was open to their influence because the relationship was built on trust and open communication. Now, I am trying to emulate their example and continue to grow in my ability to lead authentically. It makes or breaks my relationships with my team, especially the next generation of leaders.

For me, leading with authenticity means that I am a trustworthy and clear communicator. For instance, I try to give feedback to my team in “real-time” to take advantage of teachable moments: to praise and specifically note what they did well and the positive outcome or to talk about how something could be done differently to achieve a better outcome.

When we lead authentically, our team knows where they stand. They know how to measure success, and if there are times of discipline, it shouldn’t come as a surprise because we’ve been having open dialogue all along.

How important is it for you to be trusted as a leader?

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Holly Moore is the Vice-President of Growing Leaders. These are her thoughts on authentic leadership as featured in Outcomes Magazine – Spring 2013