Written by: Jayne Sanders, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Studies indicate one of the top reasons for the Great Resignation, otherwise known as the Big Quit, was/is toxic cultures. Cultures start with the leadership, sometimes as indirectly as hiring the wrong person/people. So, ineffective or poor leadership will create toxic cultures.
Even more so than in the past, authentic, transparent and compassionate leadership has a powerful bearing on employee engagement, performance, and retention. This rise in the demand, not merely desire, for a supportive and open leadership style and positive workplace environment is due in large part to younger generations placing culture, purpose, and joy as higher priorities.
A key question – how can you be authentic if you aren’t self-aware?
The cornerstone of authenticity is self-awareness.
“If your emotional abilities aren't in hand, if you don't have self-awareness, if you are not able to manage your distressing emotions, if you can't have empathy and have effective relationships, then no matter how smart you are, you are not going to get very far.” ‒ Daniel Goleman, author of Emotional Intelligence
Self-awareness helps you recognize and decipher your values, choices, preferences, emotions, triggers, and responses. Understanding these critical elements of your makeup adds honesty, transparency, and authenticity to your interactions. Those qualities improve relationships, increase credibility, generate trust, and encourage loyalty.
“I think self-awareness is probably the most important thing towards being a champion.” ‒ Billie Jean King
“Authenticity is the alignment of head, mouth, heart, and feet ‒ thinking, saying, feeling, and doing the same thing ‒ consistently. This builds trust, and followers love leaders they can trust.” ‒ Lance Secretan
Authenticity creates trust, safety, and connection. A leader who is inconsistent and unpredictable is difficult to trust. Team members having to second-guess a leader’s response to ideas or situations, fearing the leader’s reaction, cannot be fully engaged. They will avoid connection and interaction, and sometimes hide issues that need solutions and support. Toxic work environments usually start with the leader.
“Authenticity is everything! You have to wake up every day and look in the mirror, and you want to be proud of the person who's looking back at you. And you can only do that if you're being honest with yourself and being a person of high character. You have an opportunity every single day to write that story of your life.” ‒ Aaron Rodgers, Quarterback, Green Bay Packers
Authentic leaders are real, vulnerable, compassionate, consistent, and honest. These are the qualities that engender trust and connection. These are the leaders who people want to follow. These leaders create a culture that attracts good people, inspires people to contribute in meaningful ways and keep those people.
“A workplace that encourages self-awareness is an environment where the most productive, curious, and innovative people thrive.” “ ‒ Neil Blumenthal, CEO Warby Parker
I highly encourage a never-ending and enriching self-awareness journey, with the support and guidance to help digest and implement the information you discover. Many assessments exist to help with this undertaking, not to mention coaches. Having a corporate background and experience with many assessments, the one I find most accurate, helpful and comprehensive is a neurotechnology called Scientific Hand Analysis.
The lines in your hands actually mimic the neural pathways in your brain. WOW.
This assessment provides deep, insightful, actionable information – plenty to help guide your authenticity.
We are complex creatures and have a great deal to uncover, embrace, and take action on. The more awareness we gain, and the more authenticity we demonstrate, the better and more confident we feel, and the deeper trust, connection, and cohesion we can create at work and at home.
As John Hancock said,
“The greatest ability in business is to get along with others and influence their actions.”
“Self-awareness is the cornerstone of great leadership.” ‒ Daniel Muzquiz, President, The Predictive Index.
Jayne Sanders is a Transformational Coach for business leaders. She is the creator of The Executive Success Blueprint and performs neuroscientific assessments that enable better performance by aligning people with their authenticity, innate purpose and talents, and blind spots to take action on. Jayne also helps resolving barriers that naturally occur within leadership teams. She has been featured in FORBES magazine for the accuracy and depth of her work. Sanders combines neuro-assessment with coaching to help business owners, leaders, and their teams discover their authenticity, innate purpose and gifts for greater success. As a result, they become more effective leaders and role models, which generates higher employee engagement, morale, productivity, and retention.
Jayne Sanders, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Jayne Sanders is a Travel Ambassador with Dream Trips International. She brings more joy and fun into people’s lives in two ways: 1. By helping them create an additional and lucrative income stream, and 2. By introducing them to more experiences and memories through luxury travel at unbeatable prices. In over 70 countries, Dream Trips is fast becoming the world’s 1 travel membership club and boasts a 90% retention rate – once on a Dream Trip, you’re hooked by their value, safety, experiences and fun! Jayne’s webpage is https://dreamtripsintl.com/jaynesanders, reach her at jayne@purposewhisperer.com.
