Leadership Skills

SI: Build Skills of Authenticity

Authenticity is the radar of others to pick up signals from us that lead them to judge uas as trustworthy, honest, ethical, and open. However, the signals they receive may cause them to judge us in the opposite direction--as unauthentic.

Try these activities in order to build your authenticity:

• Keep track of situations where others try to get you to contradict your personal values? How did you react? How did you assert your rights?
• Keep track of situations in which you acted a certain way and later felt uneasy about the choice you made. Did you give in? Did you take the easy route? Did you avoid disagreeing with someone?
• Make a list of your "emotional inputs"––the signals or behaviors you need from others to help you feel loved, worthy, or capable. Do some of these draw you into behaving in inauthentic ways––seeking approval, avoiding conflict, manipulating others, or being honest with your values or motives?
• Think about your primary values and things you hold most dear. Are you behaving in ways that actualize your values?
• Write a personal mission statement that explains to yourself why you think you are on the planet, what your priorities are, and what you can do to make your life meaningful. Keep revising it until it expresses your life. Then display it.