This is a re-blog post originally posted by Andy Falconer, and published with kind permission.
The original post can be found here.
[pullquote]It is demoralising to work for someone who lacks authenticity[/pullquote]
Cory Booker, Mayor of Newark in the United States, was speaking at a conference I attended recently in Chicago. He was telling his story and explained how he was told off by a local resident who basically said that whilst he was saying all the right things, his actions didn’t match his words. ‘Actions speak louder than words’ as the old adage goes.
When we are in leadership positions, whether we like it or not, all eyes are on us. People are quick to notice if we are all talk, no action. Or even worse, if our lives are unauthentic. There have been plenty of books written on authentic leadership but my favourite is ‘Why should anyone be led by you?’ by Rob Goffee and Gareth Jones.
It is demoralising to work for someone who lacks authenticity. You never know whether to trust what they say because they may be two-faced, or you find it hard to have respect for them because of the way they behave outside of the work environment or when they think no-one will notice.
Think of a fantastic leader you have worked with – what was it about them that you admired?
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