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February 03, 2005
Authentic Leadership
I received an email today from Books 24x7 and noticed a new book on Authentic Leadership. I started e-flipping through it and realized that it also supports the process we have started.
Authentic Leadership: Rediscovering the Secrets to Creating Lasting Value
by Bill George
Jossey-Bass © 2003
"Authentic leaders genuinely desire to serve others through their leadership. They are more interested in empowering the people they lead to make a difference than they are in power, money, or prestige for themselves. They are as guided by qualities of the heart, by passion and compassion, as they are by qualities of the mind.
Authentic leaders are not born that way. Many people have natural leadership gifts, but they have to develop them fully to become outstanding leaders. Authentic leaders use their natural abilities, but they also recognize their shortcomings and work hard to overcome them. They lead with purpose, meaning, and values. They build enduring relationships with people. Others follow them because they know where they stand. They are consistent and self-disciplined. When their principles are tested, they refuse to compromise. Authentic leaders are dedicated to developing themselves because they know that becoming a leader takes a lifetime of personal growth."
This has really struck a chord with me - it's not about what I'm not good at - it's about building on where my strengths lie. What's the point in trying to transform myself into someone who is unnatural? That's not to say that I should be blissfully unaware of my shortcomings - I will always have to work at reducing their influence. I love the line - "becoming a leader takes a lifetime of personal growth."
I am really enjoying this process. Self-discovery doesn't have to be a bad thing. I am enjoying finding out how some of my positive traits can be employed towards effective leadership. I am also learning not to run myself down simply because some of my traits are limiting - I will simply continue on my "lifetime of personal growth".
Posted by Marj at 08:38 AM | Comments (0)