You can’t just run and hide. You can’t exhibit one style on Monday and then be a completely different person on Tuesday. The days of faking it are over. We’ve all read stories and seen companies falsely live out their mission statement.
News flash! This same behavior that we see in companies is sadly alive and well in all of us. Too often, a person will profess that they are a great leader and then immediately turn around and do something stupid. I’ll be blunt…people are always watching! The era of thinking that you can have two styles is gone, mainly thanks to social media and the increased level of visibility in our society.
How can you expect anyone to respect you, let alone pay attention to you and what you’re saying if they see you modeling two different kinds of behavior? It’s an understatement to say that this is an issue. More importantly, don’t go around thinking that just because those around you are like this that you can be too. Our world is crying out for authenticity and transparency. Think of the friends that you have: would you choose to be friends with them if you never knew how they were going to behave?
Leadership is not merely talk. Real leadership is actions and that is why I firmly believe that actions carry more weight than words. That’s definitely the case for me. The expression that we all will have our 15 minutes of fame at least once in our life no longer applies. We are on 24/7; there will never be a moment when somebody isn’t watching.
Living a life of authenticity and transparency means that you’re genuine in every situation at every moment. The bigger your footprint in your company, with your customers, and in your community, the more authentic and transparent you need to be. Too many times I talk to people that feel the opposite: because they are bigger than life, they can get away with more. False!
Take a look at the people around you. Who is transparent and authentic in how they live? I’m sure you notice a peace and calmness about them. Why? Because they don’t ever have the stress of having to fake it and they don’t have to worry about their actions in the moment or afterwards. Authentic people don’t live with regrets.
Today, your goal is to be 100% who you are. Don’t try to be somebody else or fake your way through something. Live like this and you’ll start down the path of being truly authentic and transparent. Trust me, the world will value you the most if you are real.
Copyright 2019, Mark Hunter “The Sales Hunter.” Sales Motivation Blog. Mark Hunter is the author of High-Profit Prospecting: Powerful Strategies to Find the Best Leads and Drive Breakthrough Sales Results
