|
THIS WEEK
The Heady Scent of Authenticity
ALSO IN THIS EDITION
The Heady Scent of Authenticity
|
Have you ever met someone for whom life oozed out of every pore? Who was totally confident and comfortable in their skin and accepted themselves, warts and all? Who was 100% genuine?
These people have an almost mystical power to catch our gaze. We are intrigued by their thinking and approach. We want to be in their presence – to work out what makes them tick.
As leaders and managers, people who live in a space of authenticity can inspire us to heights of performance we hadn't dreamed possible. But being authentic is not enough – they need to bring a few other elements to the table ... passion & charisma.
So what is the difference between authenticity, passion & charisma?
Authenticity is about not pretending to be something that you are not. Not hiding parts of yourself, but accepting all that you are and bringing your full self to the table. Authenticity takes time to develop. Rare people are born in full self-acceptance – most people have to work on it.
Each piece of yourself that you don't accept or push away, takes energy away from your focus. You trap pieces of yourself, sort of like taking out the edges of light in a rainbow, which means that you live life in a sort of a beige haze. You function, but you are not at your best.
In a workplace, not being authentic is like dancing in shoes that are too tight – for a while you may be able to dance, but after a while, your feet hurt and you don't feel much like dancing. It saps your productivity and drains your passion.
Authenticity also influences the depth of relationships you can form with colleagues and friends. When you keep secrets, or hide "unacceptable" parts of yourself, you can never form deep & lasting bonds with another. Yes, being authentic also opens you up for potential criticism – but in most cases, the benefits outweigh the risks.
Passion is about deeply believing in something or someone. Experiencing something so deeply and fervently that you get lost in time when you are doing it or being near it. True passion is extremely hard to fake.
Charisma is about being magnetic. It's about confidently being on show. Being fully present with whomever you are with and conveying warmth and interest to the people you meet. Charisma can be learnt and like authenticity, it takes time to embed.
So what has this got to do with business? If you want to inspire your team to greater results and if you want to create raving fans from your clients – you need to develop at least some of these traits within yourself. The more you can develop these skills, the bigger the game you will be able to play.
The other thing to know is that all three traits interact.
If you are authentic, but have no passion or charisma then you may be just a loose cannon – doing what you feel and damning the consequences. This is not useful in a business sense.
If you are authentic & passionate, you tend to be an expert in an area, but not be able to share these gifts with the world in an accessible way (think of world class scientists).
If you are authentic & have charisma, you tend to be a natural leader, no matter the role you are in.
If you have charisma & passion, you inspire people with your talents. They want to be like you, and emulate you.
And if you have all three traits – authenticity, charisma & passion ... then you can change the world.
<
Share
| Business Tip of the Week: Share your authenticity in your marketing |
In business, few goods & services are totally unique. What makes them unique are the people who design & deliver the goods & service.
In recent times, with the advent of reality TV & social media, people now want to see the face behind the name. They want to see the human side of the person in the business.
What that means is that they want to hear from you, in your own words, speaking your own truths in your blog, your Facebook & Twitter accounts and in your communications to them.
They don't want some polished prancing pony - too much spin turns people off rather than on to your business. They are looking to see if they can trust you and your company.
This makes it easier and harder, all at the same time. It means the odd grammatical error and quirk of communication is usually forgiven - as long as you are genuine. If you are fake, or put on an act, then people know about it in the blink of an eye.
The trick is to work out your unique voice (a good copywriter can help you here) and then not be afraid to share it with your employees and clients.
A few people have contacted me asking for another few hours on our financial year special on Instant HR Policies & Procedures.
Our Instant HR Policies & Procedures Manual is a comprehensive, easy to adapt manual, filled with pretty much every HR policy that businesses need.
What I liked most about Instant HR Policies & Procedures is just that - Instant! These manuals are perfect for a small company just starting to get to grips with HR practices and the value they can add to the company.
It has a lot of information that could easily be overlooked. It is easily updated or customized to the company's requirements and is very easy to purchase.
Heidi Casey
Heart Harmony's Instant HR Policies & Procedures is invaluable for small businesses - it is professional, extensive, and immediately accessible. One "find & replace" action was all that was required to create a working draft for our company, and then it was extremely easy to edit to fit our particular situation. It turns a nightmare of documentation requirements into a dream. Thanks Ingrid!
Dianna Blake
Wimmer Water Solutions
And as a special financial year bonus, if you buy the Instant HR Policies & Procedures Manual by 5pm on Monday the 5th July, you will also receive our Employee Performance Reviews: Tips, Templates & Tactics plus all of the great bonuses that go along with it, absolutely free (a saving of $24.97 AUD). At 5pm the special bonus will be taken down, so you need to act fast!
There has never been a better time to grab our Instant HR Policies & Procedures Manual. Remember that this special offer is only until 5pm on Monday the 5th July 2010.
In another deep conversation, this week I looked at how to make decisions when logic goes out the window and when emotions run high.
exuberantly yours
Ingrid
Heart Harmony
Legal stuff: This newsletter is intended as only a general guideline for Australian businesses. You should seek specific advice for your situation rather than relying only on this newsletter
Earnings disclaimer. Some of the content may include advertorial information, which means I may receive financial compensation for the products I recommend. But - unless I know and trust the product, I will not recommend it.
|
email
