• Optimize the example you are setting for those you lead
• Stop the behavior you implicitly promote
• Remedy the disconnect between leaders and and followers
• Create a culture of trust and respect
• Remove the barriers that are keeping you from leading inspired teams
• Gain control of the Authenticity Index in your leadership approach

These two terms get thrown around as though they are interchangeable and even though the two have some overlaps there are distinctions we should make when focusing on either. Grace Murray Hopper put the difference in very simple yet succinct terms “you manage things and you lead people.” Although this may over simplify the places in which leadership and management merge it does draw an important distinction. Leadership is fundamentally about moving people in a common direction that is in the long-term best interest of the people. Management is primarily focused on the systems, tools and measurement of that movement.

For instance setting a vision for an organization is a leadership function. The tactical planning, budgeting and policy necessary to achieve that vision are all management functions. The plain reality is that many of us are better trained and experienced as managers than leaders. Why is that? Well for one reason management is somewhat easier to teach since it is more quantifiable and concrete. Leadership is highly conceptual and as a result for some seems “touchy feely.” The reality is that the skills of leadership are measurable and can be developed in both an academic setting and through experience.

With that said the key to leadership development is self-awareness. Before and during leadership development it is crucial to develop and attitude of self-awareness. The idea that you intimately and realistically understand yourself or are willing to is fundamental to growth. The idea of self- awareness is that an individual has both strengths and weaknesses and understanding those is vital to being able to craft your leadership practice in ways that best use the strengths and compensate for the short- comings.

The importance of this attitude can hardly be overstated. With a willingness to become self- aware an individual becomes teachable and coachable to new approaches of dealing with people and the delicacies of leading them effectively. Self-awareness is the willingness to see yourself the way you are, to accept that state and at the same time desire to grow both as an individual and a leader. Without an attitude of self-awareness an individual remains closed and unwilling to grow. Becoming and staying self-aware is by no means an easy process but is fundamental to leadership growth.

In order to illustrate this concept let’s look again at Jane. Jane is a leader that had been schooled and experienced in an authoritarian leadership (really more management) style. She was successful in the organization and delivered the results she expected and others expected of her. When confronted in the process of leadership development with the fact that here style was abrasive and less effective than she believed she at first argued her style was the most effective way to lead. Through a series of gentle confrontations with a coach and her own team she became aware of her own style and the implications of her style on her employees. Jane’s style was a product of her schooling and experience but it was also a function of her own bold personality. In other words the style she had adopted came naturally and she felt comfortable with it. What she did not realize was that the style was effective and comfortable for her but not for her team.

Once Jane was made aware of how her personality, communication style preferences were connected to her leadership style and how that style effected others she was willing to approach leadership with a fresh view which meant disclosing that she understood her style and its impact (both positive and negative) on others.

Admitting your leadership strengths and weaknesses at first glance appears very risky. People like Jane think that if they admit their leadership short-comings to their followers that they will lose the respect of the followers. Actually, Jane’s employees already knew her weaknesses, what they did not know is whether Jane understood her weaknesses. Once they know she knows, Jane’s style is no longer off limits for discussion and the employees have more freedom to help compensate for Jane’s leadership weaknesses and use her leadership strengths to the fullest.