Start Building Your Authentic Leadership Presence with 7 Questions
Posted on Tue, May 18, 2010 @ 08:21 AM
I've talked in previous blog posts about leadership presence and also highlighted Brian Davis as an example of authenticity and integrity - leadership presence in action. But how do people start building their own leadership presence?
Making a conscious commitment to change is the first step. As Mahatma Gandhi said, "We must become the change we want to see." Authentic leadership presence starts by getting to the essence of what you stand for, what you believe, how you behave and communicate. It is grounded in your identity and self image.
Investing the time to reflect on seven simple yet powerful questions can help you begin to develop your own authentic leadership presence.
As a leader you must first and foremost have self-trust. Two crucial questions to reflect on here are:
- Do I really trust me?
- How do I build trust among my colleagues and within my organization?
The answers may initially seem pretty simple: "Of course I trust myself", but it means really looking and discovering those areas where you do - and maybe don't - trust yourself. When you trust yourself, you begin to pave the way for others to trust you as well.
You must also connect with your core values. Ask yourself:
- What is important to me?
- What do I, as a leader, need to become and do more of and less of?
Many of us know effective leadership when we see it. A helpful exercise is to focus on a great and often everyday leader, and look at the leadership traits that person possesses. This helps you to build awareness of the conscious effort, specific traits and skills that are useful ingredients in the foundation of authentic leadership presence.
I'm a baseball fan, so I like to use Yankee team captain Derek Jeter as an example. Jeter would likely be considered a Level 5 leader by Jim Collins because he is personally modest yet has a professional will and strong passion for the team. Looking at Jeter - or any leader you prefer - ask yourself:
- Beyond first impressions, what are the specific leadership competencies and characteristics I see in this person?
- What competencies and characteristics do I see in this person that I don't see in myself?
- How can I begin to incorporate some of these into my own leadership approach?
By reflecting on these seven questions, you can develop the self-trust, reinforce your core values and awareness that are the foundation of your own leadership presence.
Share your thoughts: What do you think is important to building authentic leadership presence?