Trust in leadership is eroding, with only about one in five employees reporting confidence in their leaders (Gallup, 2023). What’s going wrong—and more importantly, what does it take to lead in a way that earns trust? The answer to this question is simply bringing our authentic selves to our leadership.

Research on authentic leadership shows that effective leaders don’t follow a specific checklist of traits or styles. Instead, leadership grows from a much deeper place: our life stories. Drawing from interviews with over 100 leaders and thousands of pages of transcripts, researchers found that great leadership is shaped through real-world challenges, self-reflection, and a willingness to lead from our values. Discovering Your Authentic Leadership

Authentic leaders aren’t simply “being themselves”—they’re doing the ongoing work of knowing themselves. That includes:

-Reflecting on life experiences, including adversity, to understand what drives them
-Practicing their values, especially when it’s hard or costly
-Balancing extrinsic rewards (recognition, promotions) with intrinsic purpose (meaning, impact)
-Building strong support teams that offer perspective, truth, and unconditional encouragement

This research challenges the idea that leadership is about image, status, or "executive presence." Instead, proposes effective leadership grounded in honesty, clarity, and the courage to lead with integrity—even when it is uncomfortable or comes at a price.

Our life experiences are what can create a platform for strong leadership - everything from working with some not-so-great bosses to how parents, losses, and major setbacks can unexpectedly shape our leadership style.

Authentic leadership isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about having the courage to live your questions out loud.

Another good read:

Why Trust in Leaders Is Faltering and How to Gain It Back.