Consistently as we restructure companies and help them achieve success by engaging their people, we see a common theme established as to what an authentic leader looks like. My top 10 traits- both for, and your leadership team are; 1. Self-awareness and constant self improvement An authentic leader reflects upon all of their actions and decisions and examines their own strengths and weaknesses without any bias. They look for continuous learning 2. Lead with heart An authentic leader is all heart. They are not afraid to dig deep, and they lead their team with courage and empathy that only comes from listening to the heart. 3. Focus on long-term results Authentic leaders don’t waste precious time unnecessarily worrying over temporary setbacks, or less than stellar results in the previous quarter. Their focus is always long-term. They know that patience and hard work do take time, but yield rich results. 4. Integrity Strength of character is essential for an authentic leader. They don’t say things which they don’t mean, and they earn respect because of this quality. People trust them because they keep their word, no matter what it takes. 5. Lead with vision Authentic leaders lead with purpose and vision. They always add value to people they interact with and help them realize higher professional goals which lead to better personal lives as well. 6. Listening skills An authentic leader is always a good listener, even when someone else contradicts their views. They are even willing to consider those ideas with an open mind and change their opinion if the arguments make sense. 7. Transparency Authentic leaders believe in open communication and combine their directness with empathy, which more often than not brings success. 8. Consistency Their behaviour is consistent, and they are not easily swayed by superficialities, prompting trust and belief. 9. Share success with the team They not only build a good team but also give credit where it is due and share success and achievements with the entire team. 10. Drawing on experience They share their experiences good and bad, humbly through storytelling. Servant Leadership- by Greenleaf

In 1970 Greenleaf said, and it is still relevant today:

“The servant-leader is servant first… It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead. That person is sharply different from one who is leader first, perhaps because of the need to assuage an unusual power drive or to acquire material possessions…The leader-first and the servant-first are two extreme types. Between them there are shadings and blends that are part of the infinite variety of human nature. “The difference manifests itself in the care taken by the servant-first to make sure that other people’s highest priority needs are being served. The best test, and difficult to administer, is: Do those served grow as persons? Do they, while being served, become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, more likely themselves to become servants? And, what is the effect on the least privileged in society? Will they benefit or at least not be further deprived?“

The ten principles of servant leadership according to Greenleaf

1. Listening. 2. Empathy. 3. Healing. 4. Awareness. 5. Persuasion. 6. Conceptualization. 7. Foresight. 8. Stewardship. 9. Commitment to the Growth of People. 10. Building Community.

Tip- Exceptional leadership is the glue that will hold all of this together- without it you will not achieve the levels you desire.

This is the piece of the puzzle that most businesses and leaders