The hallmark of authentic leadership. Presidential candidates apply

hello readers and friends of small business,
Today I'm going to be "speaking" from the heart with respect to a very insightful article written by Donna Rae Smith, Ceo -founder of Brightside inc. You can review her website on www.bright-side.com. Her blog today comes from smart business and i would like to thank Ms. Smith for some common sense traits that comprise authentic leadership. Many of us know the definition of phony, fake, manufactured, superficial, hollow and other superalitives of leaders who just don't have any character or leadership content. But, do we know the traits of an honest, authentic and principled leader? Can we dissect the difference when leadership presents a candidate.? Ms. Smith details the traits of authentic leadership and i find these traits of character to be "common sense"  and "common place" among the doers and thinkers where my own network is concerned. As a sequel if you will yesterday's blog for real estate investors, the authentic leader is then a reflection in all those leadership traits you would find in real estate investor. A code of honor is at the top of the list as authenticity implies being real , being of substance and being honest.  Can you recognize an original or authentic picasso from a reproduction?? Fortunately authentic leaders are easier to distinquish . Let's start the qualities or traits of authentic leadership discussion with  some of the identity markers. First an AL..(authentic leader) will always show alignment with words and actions. These leaders make us feel inspired, motivated, ready to jump on board in support of their vision. A true AL will have the power of leveraging their authenticity to positively impact the lives of others.
What are the key traits of the AL. ?
1) self knowledge and acceptance. They lead in the truest sense, rather than as a clone or follower the AL pioneers and trail blazes. These leaders are fundamentally comfortable with themselves and encourage others to feel at ease to, relaxing in confidence and security.
2)  an example of  an AL who has demonstrated this leadership personna is  richard branson, ceo of his brand,  who have unshakeable faith in their abilities and courage to create brands that are unique, not following but leading the trends.
3)AL demonstrates vision. Motivated by a vision of the companies they are trying to build and the service they want to provide , will sponsor guidance on every decision. That vision is consistently communicated in woods and actions. That vision motivates employees and earns their committment while giving the workforce something to rally around.
4)Al's are willing to do the right thing.. choosing the moral or ethical thing even when its difficult. Al's have courage to stand and do the right thing even when its not popular or easy. They stay true to their principles and vision no matter the cost and they will perform again and again to the call of code and ethics with respect to their vision. Doing the right thing initiates movement and enables progress. This is the trait of a truly authentic leader.
5)Al's speak from the heart. We instantly feel connected and drawn in to them. Every AL has charisma and magnetism that is all magis. We are energized and engaged with their strength of character. it translates to enhanced effectiveness and productivity.
Those in their network are movtivated by their sincerity , honesty and passion.
6)Al's Engender trust.  creating trust between themselves and employees is automatic with an AL. They model values , words and actions that are required for building trust. There is a reluctance to trust without consistent performance, responsiveness and performance of words and actions when there is broken trust.  Follow your heart is actually the truth! it applies to AL's because they will prove themselves to be trustworthy and you will want to follow them.. and trust them.
7)Recognition of AL elements that define character.
Recognition of the elements of AL is the first step to becoming an authentic leader.!! ultimately authenticity requires courage to trust yourself, your vision, and a willingness to put yourself out there to expose your ideas, your thoughts , your inspiration and values to others .Those around you will see your "real" essence and have a reason to follow you. Your very presence is meaningful and of substance because you represent authenticity that others admire.
We all need to start with questions and what we consider when we are discovering an authentic leader. What behaviors do they exhibit? What can we learn from them? What is the impact of their authenticity ? There are natural born leaders as we used to call them. people who are just "people" persons. They are always an instrument and catalyst for making improvements. Constantly interacting with people and bringing noteworthy ideas and visions to us. We have these "authentic" leaders to thank for all of our american dream, for they are the ones who motivate us, power our ambitions and passions. They are the ones who move us forward on a timeline of truth and the powerful acts of courage that are needed to align words with deed. As we look for these traits in our own leadership, we must examine the presidential candidate in the same fashion. On november 6, we all have a voice and should be passionate about safeguarding our freedoms with the superior candidate for president. Someone we can believe and trust in the whitehouse can be discouraging given the broken promises of the recent past. Action must follow words and if this test fails..obviously there is failure in the leadership . Select a representative for our govt. who reflects your ideas of what an "authentic leader" is. Vote Mitt Romney for president and Ryan for VP. They pass the character , courage and authenticity tests!  We hope you have enjoyed our leadership weekend with real estate investors and leadership traits!
This is detective sparks..for "leadership programming".
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until tomorrow.. keep it real.. speak from the heart and always have confidence in your abilities . Visions are the "spice of life".