Executive Coaching for Authentic Leadership – Reveal Your Weaknesses

Executive Coaching for Authentic Leadership

Are you working in an organization where leaders model the characteristics of authentic leadership? Are the leaders in your organization display authenticity by being human and vulnerable while still displaying confidence?

One of the most powerful questions one can ask oneself is “Am I working in a company where leaders are seen as real people?” Inspiring leaders consistently demonstrate that they are human in order to gain the trust of followers.

Are you a leader who is open and authentic?  Are you able to create a high performance workplace by creating a workplace climate where people are fully engaged and leaders are fully trusted by the workforce?

Reveal Your Weaknesses

Admitting a flaw or weakness shows people you’re human. This is essential for building trust and rapport. When you share that you’re not a morning person, can be somewhat disorganized or are nervous when speaking in front of large audiences, you’re being transparent and authentic.

This authenticity displays your willingness to trust people enough to be vulnerable and real—and they generally want to return that trust. Exposing a weakness helps get people on board. If you solely communicate your strengths, others will have no desire to help you out. Revealing weaknesses creates a collaborative environment, building solidarity between followers and leaders.

That said, you should select which flaw to reveal wisely. Never expose a weakness that can be seen as a fatal flaw critical to a central aspect of your professional role. Confessing to a lack of attention to details is inappropriate in a financial leadership role. It would be better to admit to tangential flaws that don’t affect your performance.

Another well-known strategy is to pick a weakness that can be considered a strength, such as being a workaholic. Again, the most important quality here is authenticity. If you expose a vulnerability that isn’t real, people will be quick to spot the incongruence. You won’t gain anybody’s support. You shouldn’t feign absentmindedness to cover up inconsistency or dishonesty.

Working with a seasoned executive coach trained in emotional intelligence and incorporating leadership assessments such as the Bar-On EQ-i and CPI 260 can help you become an and inspiring leader who displays the qualities authentic leadership. You can become a leader who models emotional intelligence, and who inspires people to become happily engaged with the strategy and vision of the company.