Category: Authenticity

Everyone wants to be a great leader and do great things, and assertiveness and a key component of the recipe.

Being an assertive leader can lead you to great places, landing promotions and producing real results for a business, as well as personal and team growth. Most importantly, Assertive leaders in the workplace command the respect of the people around them, direct reports and superiors.

Assertiveness can often be mistaken for dominance or aggression, but the definition of assertive is actual confidence.

Assertive (adj) Someone behaves confidently and is not frightened to say what they want or believe.

The key difference between assertiveness and aggression is the constructiveness of the action. If there is resentment or manipulation for personal agenda, that is when a manager crosses into aggression instead of assertiveness. Avoid this!

When a manager is assertive, everyone knows what is expected of them and understands the consequences of failing to perform. Your team will be able to identify and appreciate what you stand for; they can trust that you will speak your mind, assessing problems against your own and your company’s values.

The value of a manager who is assertive is that everyone recognises what they should be delivering and what they will get in return.

Here are my top tips on how to be an assertive leader in your organisation:

1. Communication – An assertive manner will know and communicate with everyone, not just those that are loud or boisterous, or whose personalities they like or get along with, but everyone they are responsible for. Make sure communication is clear and unambiguous, as well as your expectations.
2. Judgement – Reserve reactions and judgements to situations, including those that become heated for when you have taken the time to assess your response. Your response should be clear and in line with your values and it will not be a rash reaction to emotion.
3. Adhere to your value structure – An assertive manager will adhere to what they believe and radiate their authenticity. In any given situation, your people will have a good idea on how you will react, because your value set has been clear and your actions reflective of them.
4. Give feedback – Always give positive and negative feedback clearly and regularly so that it is clear and constructive.
5. Build relationships and maintain them – An assertive leader will build and maintain strong relationships internally and externally and know how to exert influence without aggression.

Employees are happier, more comfortable, and more productive when they feel like they know their leaders, and that their leaders have the best interests of all of their stakeholders at heart. This is achieved when leaders act as their true selves at work, and you can learn all about how to do this at our upcoming Authentic Leadership Summit from 17-20 March. Tickets are available here.

Back for its fifth year, the Authentic Leadership Summit 2020 presents an exceptional speaker lineup composed of inspiring luminaries in government, media, business and the arts, to talk about transformative leadership through authenticity, openness, and trust.

The summit is a carefully curated 4-day program focusing on the core tenets of Authentic Leadership and how you can employ its principles in your organisation, drive outstanding business outcomes and make our world a better place at the same time.

Check out the profiles and content of the impressive headliners speaking at this year’s Authentic Leadership Summit —

Ita Buttrose is a truly exceptional Australian: a legendary media trailblazer, businesswoman, best-selling author, committed community and welfare contributor and former Australian of the Year. In 2019 Ita became a Companion of the Order of Australia for her service to the community through leadership in the media, the arts, the health sector and as a role model.

Ita is currently Chair of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. She balances this high-profile role with charitable responsibilities with organisations Dementia Australia, Macular Disease Foundation, Arthritis Australia and Breast Cancer Network Australia. Ita was also the founding editor of Cleo, the youngest ever editor of The Australian Women’s Weekly, the first woman to ever edit a major metropolitan newspaper in Australia as Editor-in-Chief of the Daily and Sunday Telegraphs, and the first female director of News Ltd Australia.

While authenticity is instinctive for some leaders, for most it requires a deep understanding of one’s own strengths and weaknesses to make the leap. It is a combination of personal security, humility, transparency and most of all a servant leader mindset.

Fundamentally, it has to backed with strong knowledge, a high-performance ethos and a determination to get the team to the line regardless of self. KFC is built on a rock-solid culture and the strength of its brand to carry the same energy and ethos to its globally-reaching touchpoints.

As former CEO of the global business, Roger Eaton joins us to explain how authentic leadership drove the organisation from strength to strength, and most importantly examine the successes, challenges and lessons they learned along the way.

International bestselling author Markus Zusak’s haunting novel The Book Thief spent over 500 weeks on The New York Times bestseller list after its publication in 2006, with a movie adaptation released in November 2013.

His newest bestseller, Bridge of Clay, did not come about easily. Like any great leader, a great artist knows that failure is an essential aspect of progress and achievement, signaling a challenge worth pursuing or at least teaching you a lesson in the process. As Markus says: “Failure has been my best friend as a writer. It tests you, to see if you have what it takes to see it through.”

Join Markus for a rare insight into his creative process, particularly his thoughts on failure, and the universal insights that we can derive from it.

In July 2019 Katrina Troughton became the first woman to be appointed as Managing Director of IBM ANZ, following a 28-year career at the company in local, regional and global roles. Katrina has never worked for another company, having started as a graduate trainee in New Zealand in 1990, and working her way up to the top job in A/NZ after a globetrotting career with the business.

The modus operandi that has driven her rise is a refusal to get bored in a role, and to actively seek and accept new challenges that have come her way. Her session will focus on how all leaders need to say yes to opportunities for growth, even when they may be outside your comfort zone.

Karen is an award-winning business executive and leader in the digital and startup industry. As the former CEO of Slingshot, she grew the business into the #1 corporate accelerator in Australia. Prior to her role at Slingshot, Karen served as CEO of CareerOne, and served as the General Manager at Yahoo!7.

If you’ve ever worked for a successful start-up, you’d know that it involves wearing many hats and fast-paced growth. Therefore, ensuring your people are supported, coached and equipped to thrive is an essential aspect of success. Karen joins us to tell you how you can deliver great results by helping others reach their true potential.

Tom Rogers has been a leader and an advocate for leadership education his entire career. Having graduated as an officer from the Royal Military College (RMC) Duntroon in 1983 he went on to serve the Australian Defence Force Academy as Senior Instructor in Leadership at RMC Duntroon, Commander of a United Nations observer mission on the Golan Heights, and Executive Director at the Australian Institute of Police Management (AIPM delivering highly respected executive development programs for leaders and future leaders of Australasian police.

In December 2014 Tom was appointed the Australian Electoral Commissioner, and having recently been appointed for another five-year term, continues to lead the organisation to deliver the Australian citizen’s right to vote.

Our key resource speakers have achieved new levels of success by being their true selves at work and having a shared purpose with their organisation and its people.

Sign up for The Authentic Leadership Summit and learn how you too can support, engage and empower your teams to succeed.

Authentic leaders enjoy a reputation for being effective people managers – able to engage a fiercely loyal and talented team to drive exceptional results

In today’s talent-driven economy, where there are fewer skilled talents than jobs, candidates are looking for intangibles like “real” leadership aside from top-of-market salaries and benefits.  

What does it take to be a “real” leader and why does it matter in hiring and retaining talent? 

“Real” or authentic leadership demands sincerity, genuine support and integrity. Top candidates are looking for these attributes in their would-be bosses – leaders whom they believe will value them and invest in their future success.  

3 Ways Authentic Leaders Win the Talent Game 

1. They attract and retain the right people 

Many leaders underestimate the cost of employee turnover. If things don’t work out, they immediately fire and hire another. 

Consider this  – each lost employee can conservatively cost a company 33% on average of the employee’s base pay.  To put it another way, for every three people who leave the company for the same expense, would cost an additional full-time employee. (Source: Work Institute 2018 Retention Report)

Authentic leaders understand that every team member brings something special to the organisation and aren’t merely a set of skills with a price tag. They make sure to engage each employee for the long term by developing and realising potential.

2. They understand human motivation 

Today’s workforce is motivated by meaning and connection – what can they can get out of working for your organisation beyond salaries and benefits? Any company can offer that. What makes you any different?   

Authentic leaders nurture talent by creating a culture of belonging and recognition.  They spark their employees’ ambitions and match them with opportunities in the organisation.

3. They inspire people to become powerful advocates for the company 

According to a study by the Edelman Trust Barometer, an employee advocating for the company is twice more likely to be trusted than the CEO. Additionally, 70% of respondents trust the personal posts of co-workers, friends and family compared to only 15% who trust the posted messages from the official company account. 

Imagine the power of a story – an employee sharing an uplifting and inspiring work experience. Authentic leaders ignite a passion within the employee to amplify the message on behalf of the company. 

Sign up for the Authentic Leadership Summit 2020 to attract and retain top talent by leading with purpose, meaning and passion. 

Learn the Process to Defining and Understanding your Potential for Becoming an Authentic Leader and Inspire Meaningful Success 

We first heard the term “authentic leadership” as a management concept back in 2003 when author Bill George challenged corporate America to lead authentically in his book – Authentic Leadership: Rediscovering the Secrets to Creating Lasting Value. 

He pointed out that “authentic leaders of mission-driven companies will create far greater shareholder value than financially oriented companies.” It was in the wake of the 2001 Enron corporate scandal and the world was generally distrustful of big business. 

The book was an urgent call for a new kind of leader – the authentic business leader. 

Defining the Authentic Leader 

Over the years, readers of the book, notably c-suite executives, have acknowledged the need for authentic leaders and wanted to become one themselves. 

So, what does it take to become an authentic leader? 

An authentic leader must stake personal integrity and responsibility in the pursuit of meaningful and lasting success. 

According to Bill George, authentic leaders are driven by a moral and ethical purpose and never lose sight of their core values and principles. They lead with their hearts, cultivate long-term relationships and demonstrate excellence through self-discipline. 

To further illustrate the elements that define authentic leadership, let’s contrast them with traditional leadership traits. 

You do not have to be naturally gifted with leadership traits, or be at the top of your organisation to become an authentic leader. You do not have to ask for permission or wait to be discovered. You only need to be responsible for your self-improvement.  

Authentic leadership demands that you aim to be a force for good by learning to be your best self. To be an authentic leader then is an attainable ideal – everyone has the potential to become one by committing to “learn-by-doing” 

Begin to carve your path to leading authentically by reflecting on these questions –  

Australia’s most trusted leaders are coming together for the Authentic Leadership Summit in Sydney on March 26. Join them and learn how you can discover your ‘why’ – your true purpose and values as a leader. Reserve your spot today. 

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Stopping bad management ruining businesses and stagnating people’s careers is something that I’m really passionate about. When it comes to bad management, it isn’t just about intimidation or belittling, deliberately setting unachievable targets or projecting the stereotypical “horrible bosses” behaviour. It can be as simple as leaving staff wondering what their goals are, resulting in them not being able to achieve them, or a dereliction of duty because it’s too hard or too confronting.

In 2020, I’m challenging CEOs, CFOs, CMOs and everything in between, no matter what the size of the business or organisation, to stop bad management and to have the tough conversations that turn managers into leaders.

I’ve worked in small, medium and large organisations in the education sector and have been fortunate enough to meet hundreds of managers from some of the largest organisations in the country to start-up business owners trying to find their way. Some of the key things I have learnt along the way include:

• Communication is key – people have to know what to expect and how they are to deliver on those expectations
• It’s recognition – staff should know when they have done a good job and have shown the right commitment
• It’s providing an environment of psychological safety, of allowing people to ask the hard questions and not being afraid of addressing concerns
• It’s leading by example and modelling the behaviour you want others to emulate and being brave enough to call out behaviour that is not OK
• It’s making values and standards clear and visible and recognising behaviour the exemplifies those values and standards because allowing poor behaviour to continue says clearly to other staff that that behaviour is OK, but it also says to them you don’t care enough about them or the company to stop it

So, my question to you is – how will you change your management style in 2020?

If you’re looking for ways to enhance your management style, join us for the upcoming Authentic Leadership Summit being held in Sydney from the 17-20 March 2020. Back for its 5^th year, keynote speakers include, Ita Buttrose, Larry Marshall, Tim Kelsey and Mike Baird to name a few. Early bird pricing is available in until the 14^th February 2020 – book here.

Our conversations with the country’s top CEOs and MDs suggest essential leadership traits for organisational success 

In the months leading up to our Executive Leadership Summit, we asked our speakers “what are the essential qualities that leaders should possess?”

Their answers ranged from characteristics and traits that they already have in their tool kit to qualities that they aim to cultivate in themselves and others within their teams.

A total of 20 speakers participated in the interview – all front-line CEOs and MDs from businesses of all shapes and sizes.

In summarising their responses, a list comprising of 10 leadership qualities were identified. The top 3 on the list suggest that these are essential to organisational success regardless of their size or industry.

Communication

The executives who participated in the interview have identified ‘communication’ as the most critical skill to have in your leadership tool kit. They emphasised the ability to articulate the company’s goals and vision, educate and inform as foundations to developing healthy relationships. They also underlined ‘active listening’ as the key component to communicating powerfully.

Other abilities related to communication were mentioned including – inspiring and motivating others, collaborating and promoting teamwork.

Authenticity

Closely tied at the top of the list is ‘authenticity’ which the participating executives defined as “leading in a manner that is true to oneself.” Authenticity has also been identified as critical to leadership success in terms of honest and transparent engagement with employees, partners and customers. Integrity, social and ethical responsibility were also mentioned as related characteristics to leading with authenticity.

Courage

Finally, our participants rank “courage” on the 3rd spot as a defining quality of good leadership, adding “the ability to confront risk and uncertainty is a quality that distinguishes great leaders from competent managers.” The ability for bold and decisive action, going against the norm, starting revolutionary change to inspire and energise the team are some of the qualities mentioned that define courageous leadership.

The Bottom-line

Different business situations demand different leadership styles. However, the interview responses of this small group of leaders all seem to point to common leadership qualities that remain relevant and essential in today’s business.

So, what’s the takeaway message in this? While this was a small, informal study, what we can take away is the need to focus on these core qualities when developing future business leaders.

Learn the leadership skills and qualities that drive performance of the country’s top executives. Sign up for The Authentic Leadership Summit 2020.