5 Strategies for Leaders to Become More Authentic (Personal Story + Webinar)
(Empowering teams with authenticity & Management 3.0)
👋 Hello, I’m Carlos, and welcome to my newsletter, “The Holistic Leader” Raw notes from an Agile Coach. Share your questions with me here, and in exchange, I'll provide practical, grounded, and clear advice.
How Being Real Helps Leaders Do Great Things
(Spanish Version) - Subtitles in English
In every company, leaders play a big role.
Have you ever wondered what makes a great leader great?
Well, It’s not just about being smart or knowing a lot about the business.
It’s about being real and honest.
Being real means being yourself, not pretending to be someone else. It means being honest about what you think and feel, and treating everyone kindly and fairly.
People really like and trust leaders who are real.
If you missed where I talked about the Fourth value “Well-being“, check it out here:
Today, we're going to talk about how leaders who are true to themselves are making a big difference in big companies.
Some cool facts about real leaders
✅ Happier Employees: Companies with real leaders have employees who are 20% happier at work.
✅ Better Team Work: Studies show that teams led by real leaders work together 30% better than teams with leaders who are not open and honest.
✅ More Success: These companies are also 25% more likely to do well because everyone is working towards the same goals in a happy way.
How do leaders show they are real?
✅ Learning from Everyone: They believe everyone has something valuable to say and they can learn from it.
✅ Sharing Stories: They talk about their own experiences, both good and bad.
✅ Being Open: They tell people why they make the decisions they do.
✅ Listening: They really listen to what others have to say.
Let’s dive into the fifth value of “Holistic Leadership”
Authenticity
Personal Story:
A few years back, I was leading a big project at our company. I tried to do everything by the book: setting goals, keeping everyone on track, and making sure all the tasks were done on time.
But even with all this, something didn't feel right. The team did their work, but no one seemed excited or really into it.
Then, one day during a meeting, something small but important happened. One of my team members was nervous to share her ideas; she thought they might be too different. Seeing her worry made me think about how I was leading the team.
I realized I was trying to be the kind of leader I thought I was supposed to be.
Always in control and always serious. But that wasn't really me.
So, I decided to try something different. I began sharing more about myself—not just as a leader but as a person. I talked about my own challenges and what I was learning along the way. I encouraged everyone to share their thoughts, no matter how out-of-the-box they were.
I also started to show more of my personality, like what I like to do outside of work and my hobbies.
Things started to change after that. Our meetings became more lively, and everyone seemed more eager to contribute.
Our project got better because we were all more connected and creative.
This experience taught me a big lesson: being real and showing who you truly are makes a huge difference. It helps you connect better with your team and makes work more enjoyable and successful for everyone. It showed me that being a leader isn't just about giving orders; it's about being yourself and helping others do the same.
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Thanks for reading
See you next week!
- Carlos ✌️
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