Conversations are at the heart of a manager’s work. It’s through conversations that managers coach, inspire, motivate, provide feedback, and much more. Being authentic is about staying authentic, relatable, and firm and fair. This unit provides managers with an understanding of what it means to be an authentic leader and how to go about this.

1. Dr Tim Baker
tim@winnersatwork.com.au
www.winnersatwork.com.au
Being An Authentic
Leader

2. Unit 1—Being An Authentic
Leader
Unit 2—Five Conversations
Framework
Unit 3—Improving Coaching
Conversations Using GROW
Unit 4—Visioning And Purpose
Conversations To Improve
Engagement
Unit 5—Encouraging
Conversations To Build
Commitment
Unit 6—Relationship Building
Conversations In Five Simple
Steps

3. Why
conversations
are important
Barriers
Five pillars of
authentic
conversation

4. It’s all about the conversation …
Organisations are
conversations
Organisations
are a series of
conversations
Good quality
conversation is
sadly neglected
The ‘art’ of
conversation
Have we lost the need
for conversations?
I don’t have
time for
conversations
Leadership is a
relationship

5. Two Types of Conversations …
Task-focus People-focus

6. Sobering statistics …
 79% of organizations worldwide struggle to engage and retain
their employees (Deloitte’s, 2014)
 86% of organizations believe they don’t have an adequate
leadership pipeline to address these problems (Deloitte’s, 2014)
 90% of leaders rely on their own ideas, rather than seeking
involvement from their team. Worse still, 89% of leaders failed
to listen or respond to interpersonal cues from those they
interact with (DDI, 2012)
 Disturbingly, only 5% of leaders are effective in building trust
in their interactions with team members (DDI, 2012)
 60% of employees felt their self-esteem dented by their leader
at work. These people would rather do almost anything else
than sit through a performance conversation with their boss.
Although they did acknowledge that a good boss with excellent
interaction skills would enhance their productivity by as much
as 60%! (DDI, 2012)
 79% of employees who quit their jobs cite a lack of appreciation
as a key reason for leaving (Lipman, 2012)
 65% of North Americans report that they didn't receive any
recognition in the previous year (Lipman, 2012)

7. THE 9 COMMON BARRIERS
TO COMMUNICATION

8. THE 9 COMMON BARRIERS
TO COMMUNICATION
1: Inattention during
conversations

9. 2: Restricted
information
channels
THE 9 COMMON BARRIERS
TO COMMUNICATION

10. THE 9 COMMON BARRIERS
TO COMMUNICATION
3: Lack of feedback

11. 4: A culture
of not
asking
questions
THE 9 COMMON BARRIERS
TO COMMUNICATION

12. 5: Too much formality
THE 9 COMMON BARRIERS
TO COMMUNICATION

13. 6: Over-reliance
on email

14. 7: Lack of role models

15. 8: Fear of emotion
THE 9 COMMON BARRIERS
TO COMMUNICATION

16. 9: Physical office layout
THE 9 COMMON BARRIERS
TO COMMUNICATION

18. 1. What are my expectations as the leader?
2. Have I communicated these expectations to my team?
3. Do my team understand my expectations?
4. Do my team members accept my expectations?
5. Are my team members committed to meeting those expectations?
6. Do my team members know how they are performing against those expectations?
7. Am I supporting my team members to achieve those expectations?

20. What are the consequences
of not challenging unhelpful
behaviour?

22. Key Elements
 Treat people fairly.
 Recognize their positive
contributions.
 Give people clear
direction.
 Support their
development.

24. Showing appreciation for authentic reasons—not as an
ulterior motive to manipulate performance—is undoubtedly
good for business.
• Increased daily attendance
• Decreased tardiness
• Faithful adherence to following policies and
procedures
• Reduced conflict
• Increased appreciation
• More satisfied customers

27. Your homework
For 2 weeks find one opportunity each day to say thank-you and …say thank-you.

28. Unit 1—Being An Authentic
Leader
Unit 2—Five Conversations
Framework
Unit 3—Improving Coaching
Conversations Using GROW
Unit 4—Visioning And Purpose
Conversations To Improve
Engagement
Unit 5—Encouraging
Conversations To Build
Commitment
Unit 6—Relationship Building
Conversations In Five Simple
Steps