6 Elements of Authentic Leadership
By: Alice Carder
Tags: Women In Business, Women Empowerment, Authentic Business, Authentic Leadership, Women Empowering Women

This year I stepped into my leadership in a new way, taking two cohorts of women through my Fear to Freedom programme, and leading a Mastermind of women on a mission already in my community, who wanted to continue their journey of self-evolution together with my guidance.

These women have in turn stepped up as leaders in their own lives, businesses, and communities.

During the second cohort of Fear to Freedom one member told me I was an example of authentic leadership. After I stopped blushing, I started thinking about what I see as the elements of authentic leadership, and how stepping into them has given me the capacity to scale my business and double my impact in the midst of a global pandemic.

HEART-LED VISION

I know I’m one of many working to create a world in which women step into their power. Showing up as their full uncensored self, free from inner or outer limitations. I know that this will be my life’s work and that I may never see my vision to completion. My vision is bigger than me and my time on this planet, and that’s a good thing. Plugging myself into this vision, knowing I’m part of a much bigger global shift, gives me access to a deeper reserve of energy than I would have without it.

INTENTION

Creating, launching and delivering a group programme has allowed me to scale my business and with that increase my income, which I am so grateful for, but my intention behind creating Fear to Freedom was about so much more than that.

It was about taking everything I’ve learned so far and distilling it down to it’s most potent essence, so I could facilitate a deeply transformative experience.

It was about supercharging my work with community. Because I’ve experienced first hand the power of being part of a community of likeminded entrepreneurs, with shared goals and dreams, and I wanted this magic for my clients too.

It was about dreaming into a programme that completely lights me up first and foremost, and approaching everything from the creation, to the sales, to the delivery from this lit up space.

HUMILITY

In her book ‘Untamed’, Glennon Doyle says “The word humility derives from the Latin word humilitas, which means ‘of the earth. ‘ To be humble is to be grounded in knowing who you are. It implies the responsibility to become what you were meant to become — to grow, to reach, to fully bloom as high and strong and grand as you were created to.” Rather than shrinking yourself or dimming your light.

For me being ‘of the earth’, and with full awareness that I will return to it soon enough too, means acknowledging that life does not happen to me, it happens for me — so that I may learn and grow and fully bloom.

In playing my part in this great unfolding I own the fact that I won’t always get things right. I give myself permission to fail and get it wrong sometimes. I listen with an open heart to feedback — dissecting, learning, reflecting; and being willing to adjust, change and do things differently when something is out of alignment.

SHOWING UP

This one comes with an appendage, because as you know I’m very much part of the ‘fill your own cup first’ brigade, and I don’t believe in pushing through and showing up if that’s to the detriment of yourself. Because nobody wins in that game.

However balance is important here. Of course there have been times this year when I’ve had my own shit going on and I haven’t felt 100% (Hello 2020). Authentic leadership in these times was about acknowledging what was going on for me, and making a promise to myself that I would give myself my full attention as soon as I could.

Then keeping those promises, so I knew without doubt that in showing up for others, I wasn’t abandoning myself. I wasn’t minimising my own struggles. Rather I was choosing, in that particular moment, to do my job of showing up for my clients and holding space for their emotions and challenges to surface, be held and worked through; before tending to my own.

Showing up for me in those times was about letting go of any preconceived ideas or pressures I’d placed on myself around how I “should” show up, and knowing that simply showing up as me is enough.

It was owning that I’m on this journey too, that I’m vulnerable, that I don’t have all my shit together all of the time, that I give myself permission to be enough exactly as I am. Knowing that when I do that, that’s when I really show up in my power, and regardless of whatever else is going on for me I’m bloody good at what I do.

IMPACT

The word impact gets thrown around a lot, but this year it really landed for me. I’ve been able to work with over double the amount of women I was able to reach last year when working solely on a 1:1 basis, and I now know just how much impact I’m able to have when I’m willing to step up and lead in this way.

I’ve experienced how utterly thrilling it feels to guide 23 international women entrepreneurs through a collective shift in consciousness, knowing each of them will ripple that shift outwards into their own corners of our world.

And that I’m just getting started.

SELF-CARE

I could not have done what I’ve done this year if I did not have self-care as my absolute foundation. Self-care for me means taking care of my body, mind and soul in whichever ways feel good to me.

This year that looked like deleting my apps and fully switching off at the weekends. Soaking in the bath as I allowed my thoughts to unravel from the day, week, month, life. Taking an impromptu spa break in the middle of the week. Getting out into nature every day, even in the pouring rain. Having spaces where I could be heard, seen, held, felt. Investing time and money in working through my own triggers and trauma, and evolving myself and my business.

Walking my talk.