Ten Ways …


to be more authentic By Robert Ashton


This year has seen more economic and political turbulence than usual. A Prime Minister has resigned and well-known companies such as British Steel and Patisserie Valerie have gone bust. Public confidence in those leading our corporations and country has plummeted. Media coverage doesn’t help, making a big deal out of the dividends


extracted by major shareholders ahead of a corporate insolvency. And then there was a story recently about our (at the time of writing) expected next Prime Minister having a domestic row to which the police were called. To be in the public eye today you really do need a particularly thick skin. It seems to me that to lead any organisation today, is to lay oneself


open to far greater scrutiny and analysis than ever. So perhaps now there is real incentive to be true to your values and certainly at times, put people and principles before profit. This isn’t always easy, particularly in an industry where margins are constantly under pressure. Neither is it the sole responsibility of those in the boardroom. Everyone has a part to play. When was the last time you reflected on your personal values?


How closely do they align with those of your organisation? Are you at risk of being accused of double standards, or worse, of profiting unfairly at the expense of others? Today more than ever it pays to be authentic. Here then are steps you might take to become just a little more authentic. 1. Look in the mirror – Knowing yourself, warts and all is harder than it first appears. Accepting ourselves as we are is not easy either. But if you spend your working day beating yourself up because you expect too much of yourself, you’re less likely to be kind to others too. 2. Value what’s really important – Marketers make a living encouraging us to strive to own more stuff. Worse is the competition between friends and colleagues to have better stuff than those around us. But what about relationships? They cannot be bought, can last longer and be worth more than anything you can buy. Valuing what matters most, and encouraging those around us to do the same is one easy way to become more authentic. 3. Listen to others without any expectation of reward – Think about how people like Martin Luther King listened, and responded to those around him. Making time to listen to those around us, letting them have their say without steering the conversation where you want it to go, will make you more empathic and thus more authentic. 4. Reveal your vulnerabilities – Somebody once thanked me for sharing my vulnerability with them. People rarely want to do business with people who appear invincible. We all make mistakes, all fear failure and all have frailties as well as strengths. Being open about your downsides will make you upsides stand


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out more prominently. It will also make you more approachable; more human. 5. Keep things simple – The most inspiring leaders are those who use simple and explicit language to describe what might be a very complex strategy. Company mission statements are a good example. Is your organisation’s mission statement on the tip of your tongue? Or is it something you have to look up? Ghandi was particularly good at phrasing things in ways that everyone can relate to. For example he once said: ‘Be the change you want to see.’ It describes one good way to become more authentic! 6. Lead from the front – One thing that always strikes me when I read about the Great War is how the leaders remained well out of harm’s way. The rank and file soldiers, however, had to go over the top and literally face the enemy. If you make decisions that affect the lives of others, then leading from the front can win you loyalty and support. Think about the least popular retail leaders we read about. You never see them pictured visiting the shop floor. 7. Be realistic – Winning business today is far from easy. Keeping it can be even more demanding, so avoid the temptation to simply pass tough challenges up or down the line. They can quickly be translated into impossible tasks. I can remember working for a sales director once who wisely calculated that if our annual targets kept increasing at the same rate, we’d have 100% market share within five years! 8. Invest in people – I don’t just means have a training budget that you spend each year, but invest in your customers and colleagues too. Nor is it enough to delegate the task of sending everyone a card on their birthday. Take the time and trouble to do the small things that show that you care. These often cost just time, but can pay you back handsomely. 9. Set positive trends – This involves some risk, as not everything you initiate will succeed, but be prepared to try new things. Then encourage others to follow you example. Make sure there’s no conflict between the trend you’re starting and those values you claim to hold dear. Everyone likes a leader more than just another follower. Remember, only dead fish swim with the tide! 10.Read widely – I apologise for suggesting once again that you read widely. The fact is that some of the best ideas you can get are to be found in books. Obviously books about authentic leadership are a good place to start, but it is the accidental discovery of an idea in a book about something completely different that can truly transform your authenticity!


There are no shortcuts to becoming more authentic. Once you’re


sure you know yourself, your motivation and your shortcomings, you can make a start. Then you need to take a series of short steps in what appears to be the right direction, taking time to check you have one thing right, before starting another. Think too about the company you keep. Are there networks or


organisations you might benefit from joining? Clearly they need to have values that closely match your own, but if they do, then being open about your membership can be a handy shortcut for those seeking to understand. Finally, remember that there’s never a better time than right now to start change. Good luck!


Comment section is sponsored by Compound Feed Engineering Ltd www.cfegroup.com


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