Authenticity In Leadership

Photo by Amy Gatenby on Unsplash

When Tom Cruise climbs out onto the Burj Khalifa or free solos up a cliff for a scene in one of his Mission Impossible movies, we love it. 

When Jackie Chan does his own stunts in any of his action films, we’re enthralled. 

In both cases, we’re gripped by the action, for sure, but we’re also entranced by the authenticity. It really is one of those guys out there - putting themselves at risk (yes, certainly in a controlled, managed fashion but at risk, nevertheless) just to provide us with a couple of hours of high quality entertainment. 

The fact that they’re willing to put themselves out there, to demand full-on commitment not only their teams but just as much from themselves, is integral to our fascination. 

This, in turn, inspires their teams to commit to them, and work with them time and time again. Which is what makes them great leaders - and, of course, what makes them so successful. 

This is what great leaders do. They commit. They don’t ask their teams to do anything they wouldn’t do themselves. They’re ready to roll up their sleeves and do the hard work. 

And it shows - in their performance and in their results. 

That’s worth remembering in our own work as leaders in whatever work we’re engaged in. Show commitment. Show authenticity. Show that willingness to get into the trenches. 

True leadership is built on the back of this authenticity.