Today's Business Lessons
By Francis J. Kong
(The Philippine Star) Updated August 04, 2012
I once bought a book entitled, You Were Born An Original, Do Not die A Copy.
I found the title so humorous I bought the book without bothering to
check the content. It turned out to be a very good read though. And I’ve
discovered that the title makes a good philosophy when it comes to
authentic leadership.
I’ve met leaders who try to project a certain persona that’s anything
but their true self. It’s pathetic. A person can’t be an authentic
leader if he or she is just copying someone else. The person can learn
from the experience of others, but that person can’t expect to be
successful just by copying another who has been.
People trust leaders when they’re authentic and genuine, not just a replica of someone else.
The thousands of leaders I’ve trained to this date have realized that
authentic, inspiring and effective leadership has little to do with
position, and much to do with influence. But the influencer needs to be
accepted first before he or she can do any influencing. Acceptance is a
result of trust, and trust is earned by those who are authentic and
genuine.
Authentic leaders are those who demonstrate a passion for their
purpose, who practice their values consistently and who lead with their
hearts as well as with their heads. They establish long-term,
meaningful relationships, and have the self-discipline to get results.
They have a life story that’s distinctly theirs; they’re not just copies
of somebody else.
Have you ever wondered why so many authors continue to churn out
books on leadership and why such books are perennially on display in
book stores? It’s because leaders aren’t defined by a fixed universal
set of characteristics, traits, skills and style. Rather, leaders emerge
from life episodes that tested them, that they’ve prevailed over, and
that gave them a better understanding of who they are and what exactly
they can accomplish. These findings are extremely encouraging. So
authors write about it: You don’t have to be born with specific
characteristics or skills to become a leader. But you do have to be
authentic.
The novelist John Barth once wrote, “The story of your life is not
your life. It is your story.” It’s what you tell yourself. It’s your
narrative, and it’s personal. It’s not just a collection of random facts
that have happened in your life.
The story of your life is unique. Leaders become inspiring when they
embrace and live out this uniqueness, not when they live as a duplicate.
Good leaders are honest. They make mistakes, they admit it, and
they learn from it. They are ethical, and do not scheme and manipulate
people to achieve their own selfish interests.
The next time you see someone in a leadership position who’s not
honest, genuine and authentic, be careful. Better still, do not copy
him.
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