We've all heard the saying "people don't leave jobs, they leave managers." Being a good manager will help you retain your people, but being a good manager doesn't automatically translate into being a good leader.
Leaders inspire and empower others to reach their full potential, and everyone has the capacity to become that type of leader. However, according to the article Discovering Your Authentic Leadership, it requires devotion to personal growth and development (George et al., 2007).
The authors of this article provide an excellent framework for a person to use as they work to develop their authentic leadership style. The work requires thinking about your life experiences and value, working to become more self-aware, and surrounding yourself with a support system that provides thoughtful feedback to enable growth.
As I continue my journey of becoming a coach, I want to continue utilizing the Authentic Leadership toolkit for myself, but I also plan to use is as a framework for leaders I support. My goal is to help them understand what makes them truly authentic in their leadership, and work with them to continue to hone their skill to inspire and motivate others.
I appreciate how you tied what the authors in the article talked about to how you are going to apply it for yourself and especially others. In particular, I like how you mention will work with those you are leading to help them understand what makes them authentic. It seems like it can be very easy to want to emulate all the great leaders we hear about, but realizing that everyone needs to apply their own unique flavor to leadership to be the most successful is powerful. Great post Abby!