Leadership training has taken a whole new meaning more so now than it did a few years ago. Those in a leadership role are inundated with academic programs, management training series, white papers, leadership experts, articles, resources and many more approaches that solely focus on understanding this role and what goes into the making of a truly great leader – particularly those who are not only capable of articulating a powerful, positive and compelling vision for organizational and individual growth but those who can breed trust and the support needed to execute on the said vision.

The basic rudiments of leadership training are to help companies thrive and succeed in today’s constantly changing environments as well as help leaders focus on harnessing specific skills such as time-management, budgeting, coaching, mentorship, public speaking, not forgetting team building and management.

Authentic leadership is a concept of leadership training and a vital state of being in control of your own destiny and who you truly are as a person. The idea of authentic leadership dates back to Ancient Greece who based leadership skills on four cardinal virtues: Justice, Fortitude, Prudence, and Temperance. Today, the authentic leadership concept is being used to encourage and emphasize on building a leader’s legitimacy in an effort to improve their inner self and the relationships they have with their subordinates.

Authentic leadership is based on the following virtues:

* Knowing your strengths, weaknesses, limitations, and values, knowing what you stand for and what you value. Self-awareness, in this case, helps leaders understand their purpose. An authentic leader is also not afraid to admit their mistakes and will often work toward overcoming his or her shortcomings.

* Being genuine, which involves being honest and straightforward in dealing with others. An authentic leader will exercise temperance and prudence when considering all the possible courses of action in a fair-minded manner

* An authentic leader is dedicated to continued personal growth, is compassionate and guided by heart with a sincere interest in empowering his or her employees than they are in money or power

* They will use their life experiences to inspire and grow a company that is a reflection of their personal values.

In today's digital age, it is quite easy for a person to adopt a 'fake it til you make it' persona and appear as kind, genuine, and authentic as they need to be in order to ‘fit’ a given leadership role. However, it takes a considerable amount of energy to be someone you are not. The deceit and the energy needed to maintain a facade and connect the make-believe dots can easily put a strain on your overall well-being.

Whether you are in a position of leadership or not, being trustworthy certainly comes with some challenges, I think we all get that, but an authentic leader is someone whom you can count on to be straightforward and genuine. They will have gone through the process of inventing themselves, achieving internal well-being, and standing strong in who they are. They are genuine with themselves before others because it not only helps in nurturing stronger and more meaningful relationships, but authenticity also breeds trust because the relationships are built on self-respect and belief in other people, and trustworthiness, in essence, helps strengthen both of these relationship essentials.

Becoming an authentic leader involves a degree of selflessness, takes a great deal of self-reflection, and the courage to do the right thing in a world full of morally corrupt and dysfunctional leaders. This journey also involves opening your heart, minds, and souls to the idea of a lifetime of learning and letting ourselves to gradually develop the passions and values that will guide us in building meaningful r...