Three “I”s in Authentic Leadership

Either Triple As, Triple Cs or Triple Is, Leadership is the journey you have to make continuous improvement.

Authenticity is the most fundamental, but challenging attribute for leadership effectiveness. We all know leadership is neither a title nor a certificate, the truth is great leaders are both nature and nurtured. They may encounter certain life events to inspire them to become leaders, which is the nature way, but in more nurtured logic, what transforms them is in how they INTERACT, INTERPRET, and add INTELLIGENCE to what did happen in their life that makes them exceptional leaders.

Interpretation: Great leaders need extraordinary vision, and more importantly how to convey and interpret their vision via creative communication. Every authentic leader needs to mind certain gaps and bridge the cognitive difference. A great leader embraces the advanced digital mind with three C's - "Collaboration, Concentration, and Complexity” with the ability to handle the "the lost in translation" symptom and seamlessly manage high levels of COMPLEXITY in highly stressful times. These are excellent ways of leadership interpretation with one's vision and sharing it with others. Great Leaders ought to be concerned not only with the here and now but prayerfully with their legacy to future generations -- a better future!!

Interaction: We may be born with traits that make us more or less likely or environmentally shaped to a degree, How we choose to respond to the events and circumstances that we encounter presents one’s character and builds one’s capability to lead in a healthy way. There is healthy leadership and unhealthy leadership. Healthy leaders seek people who demonstrate the true interest in growing, purpose discovery and contributing to something larger and becoming better at the strengths they possess. Unhealthy leaders choose people who are “yes” guys/gals lacking independent thinking or thought leadership, which may lead to authoritarianism, egotism or even unprofessionalism. Watching a team come together, especially when you are leading the team, to accomplish something that was previously thought impossible (or improbable at least), facing the lion and coming out on top is very motivating. Typically overcoming the challenge is about the passion of the leaders and the team. The interactive leadership embraces triple As in leading forward -Awareness, Acceptance, and Action.

Intelligence: What keeps leaders successful is the intellectual curiosity and ability to continuously be open to learning and applying the learning as they move forward. The authentic leaders with high intelligence have adaptability, consistency, and empathy to master business dynamic and cultural differences.  They present the ability to manage COMPLEXITY in high digital transparency and stressful digital dynamic. Know what gives you joy. Know your talents. Make decisions that help others. Build teams that build up the members of the team. Don't break people down. The leadership responsibility falls in the ability of the leaders to be an example to follow. Great leaders are not afraid to follow as well. If you are leading and not willing to learn, grow and share then you are just talking the talking without leadership effectiveness.

Leadership is an influence, the authentic leaders make their influence via interpreting vision clearly, make proactive interaction, build differentiated capability via passion and intelligence, and practice leadership discipline via awareness and interaction.

Posted in: Future of Leadership