Authentic Leadership in Action: A Conversation About Self-Awareness and Heart

Exceptional leaders cultivate self-awareness to consistently present their most authentic, “best” selves — in fact, Investing in Your Best Self and Embracing Authenticity are two of the key practices of Arrive and Thrive: 7 Impactful Practices for Women Navigating Leadership. 

Leading with Your Heart

Leading from the best version of yourself while bringing your whole self to work with intention and ease is no small feat – and it is ALWAYS a work in progress. However, its value cannot be underestimated. Reflecting on my own leadership journey, I recognize that it has required great intentionality, humor, and above all else, heart to consistently show up as an authentic leader with integrity. And some days, it comes easier than others.

Recently, I had the honor of being a guest on the Leadership With Heart podcast hosted by best-selling author and diversity, equity and inclusion strategist, Heather R. Younger. From the moment we met, it was evident that we both shared a passion for leading with care and heart – and how our own self-awareness has helped each of us continue to evolve in our own leadership journey. Heather’s heart-forward approach is truly infectious, and when we have conversations like this one and take the time to truly listen, we have the ability to elevate one another – and create opportunities for new learning and self-growth.

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3 Takeaways
Authentic Leadership in Action

Bringing your authentic heart to the workplace and displaying it in front of your team requires you to be vulnerable – and that is not always easy. I try to mix in a bit of humor and fun, so that my team will see my genuine feelings about the situation shine through. This is especially important when you are having difficult conversations about controversial or sensitive topics. Be conscious of how you are showing up for your team members and the impact of your actions.

Don’t be afraid to tap into fun. On average, we spend at least 2,080 hours working every year and more time with our colleagues than our family. I treat my colleagues as highly trusted and valued members of my network. In addition to tuning in to what’s important to them and adapting my style to each person’s working style, I also make it a point to get to know each person as an individual and to connect on many different levels, which brings joy and fun to our meetings.

We all make mistakes. The key to working through them is managing your own inner dialogue effectively, sharing your perspective with trusted members of your team, and determining next actions that will help you mitigate any negative impact. Pinpoint the factors that contributed to the mistake and engage others to identify solutions for the future to avoid it happening again.