Authenticity is the alignment of head, mouth, heart, and feet – thinking, saying, feeling, and doing the same thing – consistently. This builds trust, and followers love leaders they can trust.-Lance Secretan
Last night, I watched a special on The History Channel that highlighted President Obama’s presidency. It was very well done.
Politics aside, the one thing that stood out was that President Obama truly personified his own message. If you recall, he ran his campaign on the idea of Hope. He even wrote a book titled the, Audacity of Hope. Every time he would speak to the American people he would continue to connect his message of hope to any action he was taking.
We have to remember that President Obama is an activist at heart. He set out to be his authentic self and continue his plight to advocate for those who may not have a voice.
He gave hope to millions of Americans more for what he represented and less for his politics.
He reminds me of the reason for why we celebrate today.
It’s not just another day off.
Martin Luther King, Jr. fought for equal rights for all and made it possible for President Obama to stand on a world stage as one of the most powerful leaders on earth.
Today, we should be asking ourselves whether we personify our own message?
Are you your authentic self no matter where you go and whom is in front of you? As a leader, your team wants a leader who is true to him/her self and to the team.
Martin Luther King, Jr. professed that who we are should be more about the ‘content of our character’ than the color of our skin. I must say that I am humbled, today, to be who I am and have what I have, in large part, because of Dr. King’s efforts and message.
I recently facilitated a class on empowerment for frontline employees. We had a powerful conversation about the need to be authentic in every situation. At one point I said that it is easy to be courageous and stand up to do the right thing if you are that person all of the time. The more that we personify our message at every turn, the easier it is to influence others to do the same
My hope for you today is that you will find the courage to be your authentic self and be the motivation for others to pursue their own authenticity.
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Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be. This is the interrelated structure of reality. Martin Luther King, Jr.
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Thank you for reading. Take some time today to evaluate whether you personify your own messages and how you help others to get to their own unique place. If you found value in the message, please Share it with others. I would love for you to join the conversation by Commenting below as well.
Blessings to you in 2017!