“Authentic leaders have a genuine desire to serve and empower others that supersedes the desire for power, money, or prestige.”

There has been a lot of recent discussion about authenticity, its benefits in life and the workplace. However, a lot of us struggle with being open and knowing what we want from life and our careers or have a solid plan on how to be more authentic.

This month we try and break it down:

Your authentic self is who you really are deep down, the real you. Learning how to be your authentic self is an essential part of building meaningful relationships. You become authentic when your words, actions, and behaviours consistently match your core beliefs.

People who are authentic bring their whole selves to their jobs and participate fully and honestly in the workplace.

Organisations that foster authentic behaviour are more likely to have engaged, enthusiastic, motivated employees and psychologically safe cultures.

Being authentic is not easy, it starts with having a keen awareness of who you are, what you stand for and expressing yourself honestly and consistently to the world.

Steps to take to help you on your journey include:

• Asking yourself some direct questions can help you discover who you are when you are not putting on a mask or betraying your core values

• Determine your purpose

• Identify and start living your morals

Here is an article to read on Authentic Leadership Theory