Authentic leaders are quite unique in their own way, they build a great team, notice employees’ efforts and give credit where it is necessary. By definition, authentic leadership is a type of management style in which people act in a real, genuine and sincere way that is true to who they are as individuals. Such leaders have a consistent and unique behavior, they don’t act differently in public and privately. Instead of being served, they love serving others, such as their employees, customers and others. Doreen Kirabo, a sales and marketing expert says that she had never worked with an authentic boss until she acquired a new job three months back. When it comes to communication, her new boss attentively listens to others’ ideas and when they are better than his, he welcomes them with empathy. “He doesn’t dictate how things should run in the company but interacts with his team for their inputs, and makes the final decisions after hearing their feedback,” she emphasises. Kirabo explains that you can be in a company and not learn if the leaders don’t mind about others’ growth and success. But with authentic leadership, leaders add value to people they interact with and assist them to reach their higher professional goals, which may benefit their personal lives, she adds. The sales and marketing expert notes that such leaders push themselves alongside the people they work with as they don’t want to excel alone. “I used to believe that a leader must know everything because of what I discovered in my former workplace as my manager claimed to know each and everything, but it’s recently that I have learned that it is okay not to know everything. Authentic leaders acknowledge when they don’t know something, and possess the willingness to learn,” states Kirabo. For her, since some leaders may not know when they’re in wrong, authentic bosses are in most cases surrounded with advisors who are not shy to show them when they’re in wrong. Experts say that authentic leaders don’t seek out relationships due to hidden agendas. Instead, they connect with others, and create connections among others, since they want to enhance the lives of those they meet. They also know that life is more joyful when we are connected with people of the same opinions or tastes. “They remain focused and confident in the decision they’re making because they know that their decision is in agreement with their core values. They aren’t deviated by distractions or manipulation.” According to Mike Donovan, a CEO in a procurement firm, there is nothing as fulfilling and amazing as knowing that you can rely on your boss. He stresses that employees and customers ought to know that they can count on their bosses or leaders to provide them with not only great service but consistency as well. For him, authentic leaders have values, and don’t compromise on them. Unlike other leaders who don’t know where their firm is headed, authentic leaders have a sense of purpose, know what they stand for and where they are headed. Donovan is of the view that authentic leaders are exceptional, they show compassion for others, for example, they wouldn’t want to stress their employees which is why they check on them to make sure that the tasks given to them are not weighing them down. He adds that if the project is given a short deadline period that workers are overwhelmed with the pressure, they increase the days of deadline, and ensure that some workers offer help to those who have more tasks. In the process, such leaders develop strong relationships with everyone in the organisation
