Of course the opposite is true. Develop an individual’s weakness you end up with a demotivated average employee with nothing to distinguish them to potential followers.

Authenticity is summed up in the phrase:

Be yourself – more – with skill

This phrase was coined by two Insead lecturers, Goffee and Jones in their study of leadership. My programme draws upon their work and the work completed by Professors Zenger and Folkman in America.

Authentic leaders
• Display consistency between their words and their deeds
• Have a capacity to display clear coherence in their various role performances
• Display a comfort with self; i.e. their behaviour has undisputed origins

Be Yourself is about looking at the individual and getting them to identify their “role holder” identities. Some of these are necessary, but others are driven by emotions such as fear and ego. It is about being yourself and not a role holder and allowing your own true qualities to come through. We ask a very powerful question: “What is so special about you that means I should follow you?” It is these special qualities that an individual should really develop. They could be such qualities as “I really care about people succeeding”. We explore Trait Theory and look at the concept of Knowing – Being – Doing and ask the question who are you being when you are doing what you know?

More - is about the leader taking personal risks. It means that you will have to show to your team your weaknesses, but having the ability to use the power of perception to minimise their effect. It is about having an unbending sense of purpose which acts as a guiding star to all your behaviour as a leader and being able to communicate this to the team. It is also about being able to display active listening; listening with the intent to listen and not with the intent to reply.

With Skill – is about a leaders ability to “situationally sense” the moment and choose the appropriate response at any given time. It is about the ability to handle conversations which are going wrong and to influence others through your own ability to state manage and choose the most appropriate behaviour. It is about having the ability to use questions in a most powerful manner. It is also about ethics, followership and vision.

Below you will find a list of questions which we pose to the delegates as we progress through the workshop:

1. Which personal differences could form the basis of your leadership capability?
2. Which personal weaknesses do you reveal to those you are leading?
3. Are you able to read different contexts?
4. Do you conform enough?
5. How well do you manage social distance?
6. Do you have a good sense of organisational time?
7. How well do you communicate?

The answers to these will answer the final question posed by Goffee and Jones:

Why should I be led by you?