Six Competencies that Power Growth Boards - Authenticity
Authenticity is a defining leadership competency, often misunderstood. It goes beyond simply “being yourself” and is about leading with integrity, self-awareness, and consistency- earning trust and credibility in uncertain times.
Six Competencies that Power Growth Boards - Authenticity
Authenticity is a defining leadership competency, often misunderstood. It goes beyond simply “being yourself” and is about leading with integrity, self-awareness, and consistency- earning trust and credibility in uncertain times.
Authenticity
“Authenticity” is one of the most misunderstood and most powerful leadership competencies. It goes far beyond simply “being yourself”; it is about leading with consistency, self-awareness and integrity.
In today’s business world - defined by rapid change, public scrutiny and uncertainty, authenticity has become a defining trait of trusted leadership. For growing businesses, where pressure points emerge constantly, people want to follow leaders they can believe in - not just for their competence, but for their clarity, consistency, and humanity.
The Top 5 Traits of Authentic Leaders:
In the age of AI, personal branding and LinkedIn, it has never been easier to create the illusion of authenticity. Generative AI can write polished emails, chatbots handle customer queries and social feeds promote carefully crafted personas.
Our LinkedIn feeds are often populated by virtue signalling and greenwashing. “Influencers” are not just affecting our children, they are there in our world of business.
The problem begins when there is a clear gap between perception and reality. When what someone presents does not match who they are or how they lead, trust erodes quickly, especially in commercial, client-facing or partnership roles.
Authentic leaders create real and lasting impact. They earn trust that leads to deeper relationships, stronger networks and repeat business.
While this matters everywhere, it is especially true in the North and Midlands, where business still runs on relationships, reputation and consistency. People want to deal with leaders who are exactly who they say they are - no script, no performance, no act.
How can businesses evaluate AUTHENTICITY in their recruitment processes?
Selection processes need to look beyond the charm and confidence of the interviewee. The challenge is to assess whether what they say reflects who they are and how they operate.
For more information on anything discussed in this article, please contact:
Nik Pratap
07936 364 477
nik@pratappartnership.com
To read the full series of articles, please follow the links below:
The Six Competencies that Power Growth Boards
Six Competencies that Power Growth Boards – Resilience
Six Competencies that Power Growth Boards – Curiosity
Six Competencies that Power Growth Boards – Empathy
Six Competencies that Power Growth Boards – Authenticity
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