As a leader, and as a human being, there are moments when you feel that your authority is being undermined. Moments when you don’t feel fully seen or understood. I believe everyone can relate to such moments.
In leadership and personal development programmes, the theme of authenticity regularly emerges as a way to return to your core and natural authority.
This sounds beautiful in theory, but it sometimes meets resistance from participants. I often hear reactions such as, ‘Here we go again with the word authenticity’ or ‘Another company promoting authentic leadership as its key leadership message’. So let’s pause for a moment to reflect on what authenticity really means, and why it is so closely linked to authority and leadership.
The origin of authority and authenticity
The word authority stems from the Latin word auctor, which refers to ‘someone who brings something into being, the originator, the source’. The nice thing is that the word authenticity, from the Latin word authenticus, is also rooted in the idea of origin and coming from a source.
So you could say: you are authentic when you are original, when you connect to your source or origin. In other words: when you tap into your unique gifts and talents and act in alignment with who you truly are.
I’m sure you’ve had moments in your life when everything fell into place and people hung on your every word. You were leading, training, working, or acting effortlessly. Everything flowed naturally. Those are the moments when you tap into your unique source. That’s when you are true to who you really are. That’s when you are authentic and original.
If we know that authority and authenticity are historically linked, we can say that true authority is the influence and trust that naturally follow when others sense that your actions come from your origin. It is effortless influence by acting from your true and most natural self. Exercising authority without connecting to your unique and ‘original’ self takes energy and leads to fatigue and depletion of that source.
A call to all leaders
So, dear leaders: how often do you take a step back to reconnect with your source? And how much space does your organisation give you to be original and use your unique gifts in decision-making and daily management? I invite you to consciously claim that time and space. You’ll see that leadership becomes more natural, requires less effort, and that colleagues and employees respond more positively.
Imagine authenticity and authority are intertwined in every message and interaction. How many change initiatives, external consultants and trainings would then become unnecessary? Wouldn’t that be a dream for any organisation?