Authentic Leadership
“To thine own self be true.” William Shakespeare. We release your power to influence and inspire by uncovering your authentic voice.
Authentic Leadership has been referred to by the Harvard Business School as the ‘gold standard for leadership’. Your authentic voice holds attention, no matter how dramatic or how mundane the message.
Self-aware leaders who speak with openness and integrity win the trust of employees, customers and stakeholders, making them more open to influence. Think of Capt. Kirk doing what he felt in his gut was right.
Understandably, many leaders see a gap between themselves as individuals, and their roles as leaders. By closing that gap, we uncover the authentic leader, empowering the authentic voice.
The power of Authenticity is nothing new, it’s been explored by philosophers and generals for centuries. It’s especially important in today’s society due to the decrease in ethical leadership exemplified in countless high-profile cases involving major corporations and institutions.
In their research Walumbwa et al. (2010) found that the “more leaders are seen as authentic, the more employees identify with them and feel psychologically empowered, are more engaged in their roles and demonstrate more citizenship-rated behaviours” (p. 910). Authentic leaders are not a new phenomenon, but now, more than ever, they are needed to lead with integrity, honesty, ethical and moral behaviour. Leaders need to be true to themselves, so they can, in turn, be true to others.
Through story-crafting and storytelling techniques we bring out your unique Authentic Voice and leadership style. People will remember how you made them feel, long after they’ve forgotten what you said.
What do participants take away?
+ The ability to speak impactfully: When we speak from a position of authenticity, confidence and conviction, we speak more clearly. Clarity creates impact.
+ The power to inspire others: Logic, consistency, authenticity and empathy win trust among stakeholders and that, in turn, inspires.
+ A Sense of Self-Awareness: Research suggests self-aware people are more confident and creative – both essential traits of good leadership. Self-awareness leads to sounder decisions, stronger relationships and more effective communication. As a result, companies employing professionals with higher levels of self-awareness, have been shown to perform better financially.
+ Personal Leadership style: The more self-aware we are, the more we understand our strengths, limitations and motivations, making it easier to balance out our weaknesses and capitalise on our strengths.
As a result participants:
- Are better able to drive change and transformation
- Build better relationships – one-to-one and among teams
- Are more inspiring as industry leaders and/or thought leaders
- Bring focus and clarity to their businesses,
- Engage, excite and inspire employees, colleagues and other audiences
Click here to find out more about our Leading with your Authentic Voice programme.
WHO? Wilson Hartnell (WH) is the largest, and one of the longest established, communications agencies in Ireland. The company is proud of its reputation for delivering best-in-class work to national and international clients, such as Diageo.
WHY? Wilson Hartnell approached us because they wanted to define a new strategy for growth in a disrupted market, a market in which the role of agencies was changing rapidly. They wanted to identify a point of difference that was relevant to market needs, while loyal to who they are.
WHAT? We used The Core Story™ process to help them discover a new strategy: that was authentic to the business and its heritage; that motivated the team; and was driven by defining the market, as much as looking at what customers’ needs were.
RESULT: In the process we uncovered the fact that Wilson Hartnell had made many unsung contributions and supports to the arts and other cultural endeavours. Activities that demonstrated their contribution to society went beyond the balance sheet. As a result, the strategy they adopted was that of ‘The No. 1 Cultural Agency’. This approach has helped consolidate their leadership position in the market and led quickly to new business wins.
