A few weeks back we talked about the importance for leaders to deal with reality. Dealing with reality includes not only acknowledging what is real, but confronting your challenges. Together with the courage to interrogate reality comes the courage to confront your most difficult and often recurring personal and professional issues. That is what we are going to talk about today.

One of the complaints I often hear from the leaders I work with is that they are dealing with some challenge that is taking more and more of their time without being resolved. When I start inquiring, most of the time the reason it has not been solved is because the leader is afraid to confront the problem head on for all kinds of “reasons:” “I’m too busy,” “I don’t want to loose her,” “He can be cruel,” “I don’t want to bring unnecessary panic,” “I don’t know what to do,” “I have tried before and nothing works,” etc. etc. etc.

We are continuing the series on how to elicit the thoughts and ideas of others and share yours in a way that real understanding and collaboration can happen. Today we are going to explore the importance of choosing to be authentic. Authenticity, being true to self, your values, and convictions, will help others recognize your leadership.

Some of the failures and blatant unethical practices we have lately seen in business can be tracked back to a lack of authenticity. You need to know and understand who you are before you can address others. You need to clarify what you want and how you want to get there. Then you can have conversations that spring from your authentic self. People will recognize and resonate with this.

What is authenticity

Authenticity has to do not only with speaking the truth, but most broadly presenting yourself in a genuine way; being without pretense; taking responsibility for your feelings and actions. To be able to be authentic, you need first to learn to read your own mind!

The concept of authenticity has received a significant amount of attention recently as people search for meaning and happiness, in their personal and work lives. How one chooses to try to live more authentically depends on their own perspective on authenticity. Like many other popular concepts, different people have different views about authenticity.

Mind Reading. Photo by Ern via Flickr

Have you ever thought that your job as a leader could be easier if you could read people’s minds? And as a husband, wife, or parent? How many times have you say something like: “I can not read your mind” wishing you could do just that? Seems you are not alone.

Some researchers, and some new businesses, are banking on a brain imaging technique known as functional magnetic resonance imaging (FMRI) to reveal hidden thoughts, such as lies, truths or deep desires. (http://tr.im/uD5n)

I can just imagine how useful this could be! You are talking to a prospective big foreign buyer and he is telling you he will certainly consider your offer favorably, and get back to you soon. Unbeknown to him, he is sitting where the fMRI machine can scan his brain and just by looking at your computer you can tell if what he is telling you is true, or just a polite way to say “no.”