In the last lecture, we took a look at what empowering leaders do. In this lecture, we're going to take a closer look at what it takes to be an authentic leader. Why not what distinguishes them from other forms of of leadership? So first of all, it's about having the self discipline to get results. And if you think back on the dancer metaphor that we use to describe what an organic leader does, self discipline really refers to the ability to self reflect on what you do, and create the self regulation that you need in order to manage your behavior and self regulation. In other words about being self disciplined, demonstrating that you have the ability to stay the course if you like.
Secondly, it's about having an intention to establish long term and meaningful relationships. It's not about having a transactional relationship with the people that you work with your your team, your followers, and your Colleagues, but it's actually about empowering and energizing them. Again, as in the metaphor with dancer, it's about people being at the forefront of what it is you're trying to achieve as a leader. The third thing that distinguishes authentic leaders from other other types of leaders is that they have a passion for their purpose. Which, again, comes back to the dean dancer when one of the DS anyway being determined. They want to go somewhere and they have a passion, which they share with others about what their purpose is and why they want to achieve that outcome.
Fourthly, it's about having the willingness and the courage to actually practice their values consistently. If you think again, back to the dancer metaphor. Courage is about being daring. willingness is about demonstrating the capacity to to want to pecs be different sometimes and what other people might have expect you to do. But in doing so you're actually being consistent with the values that you believe are that you uphold as being very important to and that you're willing to put them on the line when it comes to executing your duties as a as an as a leader. And then finally, it's the ability to lead with your heart as well as, as your head.
Reflect back on the dancer metaphor, it's about caring, which is the heart and it's also about being intuitive, which is the head. So authentic leaders really have these sort of five key characteristics that distinguish them from other forms of leadership style, self discipline, relationships, passion, courage, and thinking with their hearts as well as their heads. So that's what if you want to be an authentic leader and really transform the people you work with in a meaningful way, that's the sort of colonists will need to To embrace