"I came to see in my time at IBM that Culture isn't just one aspect of the game….. It is the game" Lou Gerstner

Mastering others is strength. Mastering yourself is true power.         Lao Tzu
An empowered organisation is one in which individuals have the knowledge, skill, desire, and opportunity to personally succeed in a way that leads to collective organisational success.
Dr Stephen R Covey

Because management deals mostly with the status quo and leadership deals mostly with change, we have to become much more skilled at creating leaders.     John P Kotter

There are many leaders, not just one. Leadership is distributed. It resides not solely in the individual at the top, but in every person at every level who, in one way or another, acts as a leader to a group of followers — wherever in the organization that person is, whether shop steward, team head, or CEO.     Daniel Goleman, Primal Leadership: Realizing the Power of Emotional Intelligence.

Every human has four endowments - self awareness, conscience, independent will and creative imagination. These give us the ultimate human freedom... The power to choose, to respond, to change.
Dr Stephen R Covey
Leadership is the sum total of who you are. Leaders are developed not simply born. We can all develop ourselves to be able to guide others. Anyone who follows their internal compass can become an authentic leader.        Bill George, True North: Discover Your Authentic Leadership

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A perspective on authenticity in buisness

So what does Authentic really mean?

The Oxford Dictionary defines Authentic as:

“Reliable, trustworthy; of undisputed origin, genuine”

When we apply authenticity (the act of being authentic) to our personal and professional lives, we choose to live reliable, trustworthy, genuine lives.

One of the most powerful aspects of this definition of authentic is the term “of undisputed origin.”

What is your undisputed origin?

This term challenges us to truly know who we are, where we have come from and to live from that perspective, in line with our values and principles in every moment of every day.

No one can be authentic by trying to imitate someone else. Trust is built when others experience you when you are genuine and authentic, not a replica.

So to live authentic lives means to be constantly increasing our self-awareness, living reliable, trustworthy and genuine lives – for ourselves and those around us.

Authenticity in Business

Authenticity can be equally applied to business.

The terms Authentic Leader and Authentic Follower are growing within the global business community. Such topics are now the focus of academic research and an increasing volume of business management books and publications.

Business leadership has been challenged over recent years for demonstrating behaviours and values that appear far from authentic. The behaviour of business leaders, whose choices triggered the Global Financial Crisis (GFC), has caused an increasing volume of people on the planet to question the motives, principles and values of business leadership. Such questions have also been asked of political leaders in recent times.

Yet there are a growing number of business leaders that are considered authentic. Recent research has examined these leaders and found that authentic leaders are passionate about their purpose, they live within the integrity of sound values and they lead with their hearts as well as their heads. This type of leader values long-term, meaningful relationships. They know who they are and have unwavering self-determination.

Most importantly, they deliver results, without compromising authenticity. 

Whether in personal or business life, discovering your authenticity requires a commitment to developing yourself. Like musicians and athletes, you must devote yourself to a lifetime of realising your potential.

One could therefore view authenticity as nothing to do with the destination. It’s the manner in which we live the journey!

Authentically Towards Success

We live in a world where it is far too easy and far too acceptable to compromise values, principles and ethics in the race to success. Whether in the pursuit of personal or professional goals, or in leading organisations, authenticity provides the opportunity to heighten self-awareness, become clear on vision and objectives and enhance the self determination required to hold steady in the face of opposition.

Authentically Towards Success exists to challenge, support and encourage individuals, leaders, teams and organisations to instill authenticity as a fundamental tenant of success. How we achieve is just as important as what we achieve!