A Student of Leadership - Where Great Leaders are Made, One Habit at a Time!

Welcome to a student of leadership, a micro podcast where leaders are made one habit at a time. Hosted by Rob Adams, a leadership veteran with thirty years of experience. This podcast explores key concepts that define exceptional leadership. Each episode delves into a powerful word or strategy, offering practical insights and real world stories. Whether you're just starting out or an experienced executive, join Rob as he guides you in learning, growing, and leading with purpose.

Hey, everyone, and welcome back to the Micro Podcast, a student of leadership where great leaders are made one habit at a time. I'm Rob Adams, your host. And today we are exploring a leadership quality that transforms good leaders into unforgettable ones. The word of today's episode is authenticity. In a world of carefully curated personas and leadership stereotypes, authentic leadership stands out like a beacon.

It's not about being perfect or matching some idealized image of leadership. It's about leading from a place of genuine self awareness, consistent values and transparent humanity. When leaders embrace their authentic selves, they create spaces where innovation flourishes, trust deepens, and people feel empowered to bring their whole selves to work. In today's micro episode, we'll uncover the power of authentic leadership. We'll also share a compelling story of transformation through authenticity and provide practical strategies to help you lead with genuine presence and impact.

Consider the remarkable journey of Howard Schultz at Starbucks. In 02/2008, during a critical period where Starbucks was struggling, Schultz made an unprecedented decision to close all 7,100 U. S. Stores for three hours to retrain baristas. What made this moment extraordinary wasn't just the bold action, but how Schultz communicated it.

In a company wide meeting, Schultz shared a deeply personal story about his father losing his job after a workplace injury and having no health insurance. This experience, he explained, drove his commitment to providing health care for all Starbucks employees, even part time workers. Rather than just announcing corporate decisions, he consistently connected company policies to personal values and experiences. When the two thousand and eight financial crisis hit, Schultz maintained health benefits despite pressure to cut costs. He regularly visited stores, shared his anxieties about the company's challenges while maintaining optimism about their shared future.

This authentic approach not only helped Starbucks weather the crisis but strengthened employee loyalty and customer trust. Renee Brown's observation that authenticity is the daily practice of letting go of who we think we're supposed to be and embracing who we are reveals a very profound truth about leadership. True authenticity isn't a destination, but a continuous choice to align our outer actions with our inner values even when it's uncomfortable or unconventional. Now let's reflect on a few things. What parts of yourself do you feel you need to hide or modify in your leadership role?

How might your leadership impact change if you were more transparent about your challenges and growth areas? And in what ways does your organization's culture support or hinder authentic expression? A 2023 Harvard Business Review study titled The Authenticity Paradox in Leadership revealed that teams led by authentic leaders show a 40% higher engagement, 35% more innovation, and 27% better retention rates. Surprisingly, these leaders were also rated as more competent by their superiors, challenging the notion that authenticity might compromise professional image. Now here are three transformative strategies for cultivating authentic leadership.

Number one, create authenticity anchors. Identify specific moments in your day, team meetings, one on ones, decision points, where you'll consciously choose authentic expression over conventional leadership scripts. Use these anchors to build a consistent practice of genuine leadership. Number two, develop your authenticity story. Craft and share your leadership narrative, including pivotal experiences that have shaped your values and approach.

This isn't about helping others understand the authentic foundations of your leadership. And number three, build authenticity bridges. Create intentional opportunities for authentic connection with your team. This might include learning from failure sessions where you share your own mistakes or values and action discussions where team members explore how personal values shape their work. Remember that authenticity in leadership isn't about sharing everything.

It's about sharing what matters in service of building trust and connection. Now your action challenge for this week is to create an authenticity map of your leadership style. I want you to document moments where you feel the most authentic as a leader, situations where you feel pressures to conform to others' expectations, and finally, one specific area where being more authentic could strengthen your leadership impact. Choose one situation this week to practice more authentic leadership and observe the results. Authenticity is more than a leadership buzzword.

It's the bridge between who we are and the impact we want to have. As you work on this week's action challenge, remember that every moment of genuine leadership creates ripples of trust and possibility throughout your organization. Next week we'll explore prioritization. The art of focusing your time and energy on what truly matters while empowering others to do the same. Now until next time, keep practicing the habits that make great leaders.

And remember, great leaders are made one habit at a time. See you next time on a micro podcast of A Student of Leadership. Take care, everyone.

Thanks for tuning in to this episode of the student of leadership. Leadership is about who we become and how we help others grow. If you found value in this podcast, share it with a fellow leader and connect with Rob on LinkedIn or leave a review. New episodes drop weekly, so don't forget to subscribe to stay connected. Until next time, keep learning, growing, and leading with intention.

Remember, great leaders are made one habit at a time. See you next time on a student of leadership.