Be Authentic
A few months ago, I read Henna Inam’s new book, Wired for Authenticity: Seven Practices to Inspire, Adapt & Lead and subsequently posted an interview with her. Her work on leadership authenticity is not only fascinating, but is essential for any aspiring leader to master. Recently, I had the opportunity to meet Henna and talk more about being an authentic leader.
Throughout all of our discussion and throughout all of Henna’s writing, I noticed a key theme: service to others. Everything we do should be in a place of service. It’s one of the reasons I was drawn to her work.
Here are a few lessons from Henna on becoming an authentic leader:
Defeat the Inner Saboteur
All of us face inner saboteurs, Henna explains, and yet we need to let go of the inner critic to move forward with purpose. Tuning in to voices that drive action is key to our success.
Show Up Exactly How You Want to Be
Henna is passionate about showing up. Consider how we want to be in each interaction with others.
Face Your Fears
Henna calls this “facing the dragon.” We all must face our fears to be authentic. “When we give into our fears, we are unable to be authentic.”
Develop Your Personal Brand
Henna speaks about personal branding. I talked with her about how personal branding is related to authenticity. We talked about three key areas to develop your unique, authentic brand:
- Know your leadership purpose
- Strengthen your gifts
- Develop your values
For more, see the 7 Practices of Authenticity.
Wired for Authenticity: Seven Practices to Inspire, Adapt & Lead
