What is authentic leadership and why it matters more than ever

Imagine your leadership journey as two circles.

The first represents who you truly are – your authentic self.

The second represents who you believe you should – or must – be when you turn up to work. Your “professional” persona.

Now imagine them in a Venn diagram.

For most of us, when we start our career, there’s very little overlap between the two. We’re confused about what being “professional” means – thanks to conditioning from media, schooling, parents and cultural expectations. And we often lack clarity about who we truly are, let alone the confidence to express it.

Therefore, a big part of our development journey is to:

1. Understand who we are beneath all the guarded pretence and self-protective strategies
2. Develop the confidence to bring more of that authentic self into our work

As the overlap between the two circles grows, we will find work more energising and purposeful as default career settings give way for our vocation.

And we will experience more meaningful connections with those around us – especially those we lead, as we allow them to connect with who we truly are.

We may never reach a point where the two circles totally eclipse one another, but we can work to increase the level of overlap through intentional career choices and how we choose to show up at work.

And in doing so, our leadership becomes more grounded – and more effective.

How much of yourself do you leave at the door each day?

When who you are and how you lead start to align, work feels lighter, clearer and more meaningful. Leaders tell us they feel less drained, more confident and more connected to the people they lead. Our management and leadership coaching is designed to help you move towards that alignment in a grounded, practical way. If you’re curious, we offer a free, no-pressure discovery call to explore whether it could be helpful for you.