Authentic leadership is a term I’ve been hearing a lot lately. But defining authenticity and what authentic leadership means, is not easy!
Authenticity is a term that gets thrown around a lot these days, especially in leadership and entrepreneurial circles. But for autistic and ADHD female entrepreneurs and leaders, the path to authenticity can feel confusing, overwhelming, and downright terrifying! I don’t know about you, but as someone who spent most of their life trying to hide a lot of their true selves, it can feel daunting.
With societal pressure dictating how women “should” behave, coupled with the unique challenges and strengths of neurodivergent minds, how do we fully embrace our authentic selves? And more importantly, why should we?
In this blog, we are going to explore how to discover what authentic leadership means for you, and how you can harness it for your business success, in a way that feels good for you.
What is Authentic Leadership?
Authentic leadership is a buzzword, but we need to think about what it means for you, and how you bring authenticity into your professional life. So, I’m not going to give you a list of ‘to-do’s’ or a checklist on how to do it! I am going to share some food for thought though.
The Struggle with Authenticity
It’s no secret that many autistic and ADHD women have spent a significant part of their lives trying to “mask” or “blend in.” It’s a survival strategy in a world that often misunderstands or misinterprets our actions and intentions. There’s a fear—what if being our genuine selves pushes people away, or worse, jeopardises our professional careers or businesses? I spent my entire corporate career of well over a decade, trying to hide my true traits and thoughts and overcompensating and over-delivering, in the hope I wouldn’t be ‘found out’ and dismissed. This brought so much anxiety to my life and I lived in a constant state of worrying I was going to be found out as being useless or incompetent, much of the time! The truth was, I was excelling, in my own way – I just worked in organisations that valued ‘sameness’ and couldn’t think outside the box – one of my superpowers!
Funnily enough, it was when I was leading teams and coaching individuals that I displayed more of my authentic leadership style. I was excellent at encouraging people to shine and excel, and many of my team went on to big promotions and success far above my grade and pay. I loved being able to connect, to help them shine and achieve success. I just wished someone had done the same for me!
The Power Of Authentic Leadership
Here’s the reality—authenticity is magnetic. Think about leaders or entrepreneurs you admire. More often than not, they resonate with you because of their genuine nature. They are able to engage with you in a way that draws you to them, and you can feel that they are being genuine and honest.
When someone is being authentic, there is a warmth about them, a relaxed vibe and you feel that they’re not trying to be someone else. This builds the know/like/trust factor, which is crucial in business, even if we are not fully aware of it! And it’s this authenticity that builds trust, a critical component in leadership and business.
When your team, clients, or community sense that you are genuine, they are more likely to rally behind your vision. When a business or brand comes from a place of authenticity, it shows through. The modern-day consumer needs more than just great products and services now, they want to connect with brands and believe in their messaging and vision.
Think of a brand or a personal brand that you really connect with, or admire. What is it about them? I bet it’s not just products and services! Someone I think hits the sweet spot of authenticity is Lisa Johnson. Lisa is a business coach and mentor, and she’s upfront, transparent, and to the point, whilst having products & services that deliver value every time. I felt immediately that she was being authentic and honest, and it drew me to her. When I immersed myself in her world, it was evident that she walked the walk, and the same could be said of her Team too!
Can you think of a person or brand that you feel connected to, or feel that they are being authentic? Think about what it is that you like about them, what makes you feel connected to them? Why do you feel they are authentic, what traits or behaviours are they sharing that tell you they authentic?
Authentic Leadership For Innovation
Authentic leadership can be a fantastic way to unlock unique innovations and ways of working. You might be wondering how?
Autistic and ADHD minds are powerhouses of creativity and innovation. By being genuine, you bring fresh, unique perspectives, ideas, and ways of thinking to the table, something the entrepreneurial world desperately needs. The Harvard Business Review shared a study (which I shared in my blog HERE) that highlighted the amazing impact of neurodivergent minds in business.
Authenticity is the key to unlocking your potential and letting yourself innovate and shine. I wish I had embraced this more in my corporate life, but as an undiagnosed leader, in an organisation that wanted ‘sameness’ and not innovation, I didn’t stand a chance. My creativity, confidence, and spirit were crushed.
Masking might bring temporary acceptance, but authenticity brings ground-breaking ideas and unparalleled success. This isn’t all or nothing, it’s not about showing up as 100% your true self, but choosing where letting your true self shine can add value and positively support your success.
Your Authenticity Is A Catalyst!
When it comes to authentic leadership, this is one of my favourite things to remember! By choosing to be authentic, you’re not just impacting how you show up and what you can achieve, but you’re inadvertently permitting others to be authentic too.
When you show up as an authentic leader, others will feel safe and confident to show up authentically too. Whether it’s work colleagues, clients, customers, or people you collaborate with, your authenticity will help them feel able to show up more authentically too.
Why does this matter? Well, I learned this lesson the hard way in my first few years in business! I was the version of myself that I thought clients wanted – and that mirrored much of the aesthetics industry. I was busy, but I didn’t enjoy work and I had clients that I didn’t connect with, and often found difficult. It was during the pandemic that I decided to overhaul everything, and focus on serving the clients I truly wanted to help. I poured much more of myself into my business, and my messaging became unique and a little quirky.
The more I shared my true views and self, the busier I got. The beauty was, that my clients were my ‘ideal’ client, so work became more relaxed and enjoyable. And, post-diagnosis, I made some more changes and became open about my diagnosis, and that just drew more people to me and built so much trust and connection. It has been a phenomenal transformation, as with my clinical practice I now have a 6 month waiting list.
The best part for me is being able to work with clients that I feel relaxed with and connected to and know I don’t have to try and hide my true self. Of course, I don’t throw every little bit of me out there, so let’s look at what being an authentic leader means – without putting it all out there for the world to see!
Authentic Leadership - How To Do It
Yes, being authentic can be terrifying. But think about this: What’s scarier? Living a life where you constantly hide and suppress your true self, or taking the risk to be genuine and reap the vast rewards that come with it?
Authentic leadership doesn’t mean putting your whole self out there. It’s about letting your strengths shine and your personality come through in a way that is relevant to the environment and situation. There’s an interesting article in The Harvard Business Review about authentic leadership and 5 Steps on how to do it.
Whenever I talk about authenticity, I mention unmasking/camouflaging. Being an authentic leader doesn’t mean that you have to completely unmask. It’s about finding a way to bring authenticity into your professional life, in a way that feels safe and good for you, with a purpose in mind.
I like to think of it this way – ALL human beings mask elements of themselves at some point, depending on the situation. Nobody (I’m making an assumption here!) lets their Friday night party self out at an interview or pitch. And most people will keep a jealous streak under wraps on a first date! We get to choose which parts of ourselves we want to share, but the thing is – we have to be brave and show up authentically, because it becomes exhausting to constantly hide your true self away, and you’re doing yourself (and others) a disservice, in not letting yourself shine.
So, when you’re thinking about being an authentic leader, think about which elements of yourself can you let shine through, for the benefit of your business, your team, or your customer/client connections. Where can your authenticity drive innovation and change?
Authenticity is inspirational!
This is the thing I love most about us collectively becoming authentic leaders and standing together. We get to be inspirational, authentic leaders, for the next generations to come.
We can experience all of the benefits of being authentic leaders in our own lives – from the feeling of achievement and accomplishment of letting our skills shine, from building stronger connections and relationships within our teams and networks, and creating a life that feels calmer and where we have a greater sense of belonging.
When the younger generations see us, stepping out and stepping up, as these bold, confident, and powerful leaders, we show them what’s possible for their future. We become the inspiration for them to be authentic and unapologetic in their professional lives. They get to become the bold, brave, and outstanding leaders and entrepreneurs of the future.
Now, that’s pretty cool, right? So, how will you start to let your authenticity shine through…..? I’d love to know!
Until next time, stay bold, stay brave and keep shining your beautiful, unique light.
I’d love to see you over in our Facebook Community if you’re not already there. Click on the button below to join our supportive group for female entrepreneurs and leaders (or those committed to showing up fully in their lives!). We are UK based, but you’re welcome to join if you’re not UK based. Nikki x
PS. Have you taken my Autistic & ADHD Women’s Success Breakthrough Quiz yet? It’s super insightful, and you’ll get bespoke advice, based on your answers. Are you ready to find out if you’re living life for yourself, or others?? Then click to take the Quiz!