Teaching, Learning, Giving, Growing…. These are action words that all leaders should seek to uphold in all interactions with others. These four qualities encapsulate the role of an effective, authentic leader.
As a leader, teaching others requires our rational mind as well as our intuitive feelings. We have to meet people where they are and give them the space to be who they are. From a rational perspective, specific goals, time parameters, and accountability will always be important expectations. But of paramount importance is having the intuitive awareness to find alternative paths to getting the results we need when others fail to meet our expectations. In that way, we can avoid the dreadful mistake of diminishing the value of another. When leading and teaching others, we have to look at the three main reasons a person does not deliver on expectations: they either don’t know, don’t care, or they just can’t do it. If they don’t know, teach them. If they don’t care, find ways to motivate them in ways that’s more relatable to them, and if they can’t do it, find a better match between their skill sets and the tasks at hand. Either way, having the intuitive mindset to find alternative paths to accomplishing the goal is the wise way to lead and teach others.
As leaders, we must maintain a sense of humility in order to learn new ideas, new procedures, and new perspectives. For many of us, we teach what we need to learn. We must be willing to recognize, accept, and embrace our learning gaps, with no apologies. Does this make us imposters? Of course not! This vulnerability makes us real and authentic. And in effect, we become even more impactful and powerful as leaders and teachers of influence.
Giving our time and talents to selflessly serve the needs of others represents a cornerstone of authentic leadership. As we give, we grow. As the famous author, Dr. Wayne Dyer states, when we can step outside of ourselves to contribute to the needs of others, “we’re no longer a hostage to our ego, but rather a host to our higher selves.” This then becomes the connecting point towards our own personal growth and transformation.
As leaders, we must passionately commit to always teaching, always learning, always giving, and always growing. And in the process, we become an authentic leader of influence for others to teach, learn, give and grow; thereby creating an expanding, evolving circle of growth and transformation for all.
