Before I get started, I want to clear the air. Yes, I know this first question seems to be extraordinarily self-absorbed. The fact is that leadership requires that we as leaders understand ourselves. Leadership requires self-awareness, not self-absorption. There is a huge difference.
Self-awareness allows us to know who we are and what we believe. Self-absorption, on the other hand, is a preoccupation with oneself to the exclusion of others or the outside world. Many people in leadership roles are highly self-absorbed, but this behavior is an impediment to effective leadership. On the other hand, self-awareness is essential to true leadership.
Self-awareness gives us the ability to know ourselves accurately and honestly. It allows us to understand our values, beliefs, strengths, weaknesses, priorities . . . . This self-knowledge is what enables us to be authentic. It allows us to build on a strong foundation of values and beliefs.
By learning and understanding who we are, we can begin to share ourselves with others. This is critical, because true leadership means that others are willingly following us. Certainly our position or title may enable us to impose our will on them, but real power comes when people freely choose who they will follow. Most people want to know us as a person, before they follow us as their leader. Human nature impels us to follow those who are worthy of our trust.
All of “The If 16 Leadership Attributes” help us learn more about ourselves. Together they support us to act and lead in ways that demonstrate our genuine selves. Four attributes in particular play a critical role in building our knowledge of self and enabling us to lead and act accordingly. They are CHARACTER, AUTHENTICITY, INTEGRITY, and SELF-EFFICACY.
Let’s start with Character. We are at our best when our actions and behaviors reflect who we really are. Great leaders understand this. They recognize the criticality of living and leading in ways that are consistent and aligned with their beliefs and values. Leading with character goes beyond simply having character. Our ability to lead is in large part based on our ability to instill trust in others. Those we lead want and need to trust us. And to trust us, they must know us. That means allowing them to get close.
Authenticity comes next. So, what does it mean to be authentic? IT means being true to one’s own personality, spirit, or character. Authentic leaders remain themselves no matter what happens or whom they are with. People are dynamic and ever-changing beings. Embracing authentic behaviors while letting go of inauthentic behaviors makes us stronger leaders.
Many people confuse Integrity with honesty. While the two are closely linked, they are not the same. Integrity is much more than honesty. Webster’s defines it as follows:
- adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character; honesty
- the state of being whole, entire, or undiminished
In leadership, both definitions of integrity are essential. We are complex beings, and our character and principles reflect this complexity. Living and leading in accordance with our own character and principles often requires us to make difficult trade-offs. It is a matter of integrating all of our values and beliefs. This is easy when they are in harmony. The challenge comes when they conflict. Integrity allows us to reconcile our conflicts and contradictions.
Finally, there is Self-Efficacy. Dr. Albert Bandura, the psychologist who first described and studied self-efficacy, defines it as “the belief in one’s capabilities to organize and execute the courses of action to manage prospective situations.” Highly self-efficacious people know themselves extraordinarily well. They possess a genuine confidence in their own abilities. Knowing who they are allows them to know what they are capable of.
Imagine knowing yourself so completely that you could trust yourself, even when everyone else doubts you and believes you are wrong. Imagine being comfortable enough with who you are that you can be yourself, regardless of the situation. How would it feel to have the integrity to always seek and defend the truth, regardless of how unpopular it is? What would it be like to have the self-efficacy to take on confidently any task set before you?
Everyone has the ability to live and lead like this. It requires a great deal of hard work and self-examination. It demands extraordinary resolve and commitment. Most of all, it means becoming and remaining truly self-aware.
