Authenticity

Accelerating achievement through truth

Living true to ourselves and to our word sounds right and yet doing so can be a major challenge. Authenticity, however, is not just a moral imperative but a skill. We explore how a well-told truth creates connection and turns conflict into useful intelligence. As you explore the concept of authenticity, what questions does it raise or insights does it provoke about your leadership practice?

Practicing Authenticity

True authenticity is based upon curiosity rather than certainty. If we’re truly being authentic with one another we’re learning every moment so that we’re constantly adjusting. Authenticity is about correction not perfection. Authentic leadership is actually evoking differences and different points of view. To grow in your leadership abilities you really need to surround yourself with people who think and act differently than you. Give them a voice and learn from the differences between you.

Practices

More Practices

  • Barbara Jordan and fact-based inquiry

    A freshman congresswoman during the Watergate scandal provides an example of how authenticity accelerates solution, and how aligning people to purpose leads to honest, healthy debate as well as better decisions.

  • Four key skills for increasing authenticity

    Increase authenticity by cultivating skills such as telling powerful purpose-driven stories and reducing unintended bias.

  • Performing a Bias-ectomy

    Wikipedia lists over 100 examples of biases that make our perceptions inaccurate and decision making irrational. There is no surgery to remove bias, but there is a remedy.

  • The Conversation Meter

    The Conversation Meter is a powerful tool for improving the quality of every interaction, and a key resource for increasing authenticity.

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