Like a hound dog on a fox hunt, team members can sniff out a hypocritical leader with no effort. The Greek root word for hypocrite means “actor”. When you are acting, you are pretending to be someone you’re not. Your team members immediately recognize the lack of authenticity.
On the other hand, team members and staff will vow allegiance to a trustworthy leader who shows genuine care for their team. Everyone puts in the extra effort to support a cause they love and to follow a leader they admire.
What’s the difference, then, between an actor and an authentic leader? We’ll discuss tactics, relationships, and vision in this article.
Tactics
An authentic leader probably doesn’t use tactics per se. Authentic leaders are transparent and openly share business information with their teams. If things are tough because the economy is hurting from tariffs, the leader will honestly inform the team. It’s an opportunity to brainstorm and identify possible alternatives using the wisdom of people actively vested in the outcomes. Authentic leaders need the feedback from their team members because they are often the closest to the customer. Business owners don’t always hear customer complaints or frustrations at their level.
On the other hand, an insincere leader may ask for feedback with no intent to grow from it. A manipulative leader may (unfortunately) use the information against his team members in performance reviews or job assignments. Manipulation is the dark side of transparency.
Relationships
Authentic leaders are self-aware and possess a high degree of emotional intelligence. They view conversations as times for equal exchange of ideas. These leaders show sincere care for their team members, asking about their personal lives and building empathy with their team members. Self-awareness means you recognize your own triggers, yet respond in a fair, non-judgmental way. Emotional regulation is a big element of self-awareness in emotional intelligence.
At the opposite end of the spectrum from an authentic leader is a self-absorbed leader. This person is primarily concerned about how he can look better and impress people. Acting like they care about the team, they may initiate a practice – like fun food Fridays – but turn it into a competitive requirement to keep your job. If you’ve heard the phrase “flavor of the month” to describe an initiative at your workplace, you’re probably familiar with the inconsistent behavior of a transactional leader.
Visionary
Authentic leaders share a belief in growth for their companies and their teams. They delegate work in stretch assignments to help develop new skills in their staff. Visionary leaders share ideas, hope, and dreams. They study and observe other successful leaders and firms. An authentic leader must be vulnerable to let their aspirations see the light of day.
In contrast, a protective leader displays a fixed mindset. He is fearful of change and is risk-averse. The inauthentic leader lacks confidence in himself and hasn’t got a clear-cut vision for the company. They hide behind statements like, “That’s not how we do it here,” and “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Anxiety, not anticipation, rules the disguised leader, pretending to trust but unable to be honest.
Become an Authentic Leader
To be a great leader, you must have excited followers. Business leaders should be willing to do the job they ask of every one of their employees. If you are not willing to take the trash out and demonstrate pride in the task, how can you expect your staff to treat the janitor with integrity?
Authentic leaders reflect their true core values. There’s no covering up who you are or acting inconsistently with your beliefs. A genuine business leader is transparent, relational, and visionary.
Your Next Step
I’d love for you to join me in a webinar I’m hosting on September 12, 2025 at 2 pm CDT to show business leaders how to live authentically across all arenas of life: business, faith, and health. Contact us at info@globalnpsolutions.com to get registered for the free webinar.
** This article was written with no AI content.**
