I’ve always believed it is important to be authentic. But in truth, I wonder if I had ever really thought deeply enough about what it is to specifically be an authentic leader. In my work, it’s easy to focus on navigating change, supporting staff, and steering the course of the organisation. But genuinely keeping an eye on who I am truly being is a different matter.
In my work, as is the case in life, I had noticed certain habits that often hindered me in achieving my goals. And these habits in turn affected the performance of my team. At times I have been held back by fear of failure, fear of rejection, concerns about not being good enough and hiding my own flaws. I also had a propensity to want to keep everyone happy and to rescue people from difficult situations and challenging realities. There were times when I realise I was using the power and responsibility of leadership to essentially help people to continue bad habits and to overlook poor performance. My time working with Endre facilitated a journey of reflection and recalibration. I was able to re-consider experiences of fear and sadness and disempowerment from my past, as far back as my childhood. Through some affective processes and practises I’ve come to feel a release from some of these experiences. Following on from this, in my work I’ve been able to find a greater sense of peace and confidence in confronting the things that are not serving the goals and purposes of myself as a leader, of my team with their own challenges and also the path of the organisation I am responsible for.”