NOVEMBER 2023retailtechinsights.com8IN MY OPINIONAUTHENTIC LEADERSHIP- BE YOURSELF, BECAUSE NOBODY ELSE WILLBy Jacob Baldock, Head of Marketing - International & Wholesale, Woolworths GroupAt the start of my career, I felt like a bit of a lost puppy. Overwhelmed by everything around me, constantly having to learn new skills, always wondering where things are at and where I fit in - and really - just wanting someone to show me the way. Fast forward almost 20 years and in a lot of ways, things are no different. "The more things change - the more they stay the same" as they say.Even as a senior leader working for one of Australia's largest and most trusted brands - the corporate world can feel very overwhelming at times. I'm still constantly learning new skills, still curious about how everything around me works, and still searching for meaning amongst the chaos of working life. The difference? I've found a way to bring authenticity to the table. I'm confident in who I am, how I want to be treated, and how to treat others. After all these years, the one thing I've found `works' in the workplace is authenticity. Whether you're (another) puppy who's finding their way, or a respected leader of teams and people - the one thing I've found the most valuable, but also the rarest - is authenticity.So what makes a good leader? It's quite tricky to figure out what being a `good' leader is. Is it someone who's great at delegating? A great presenter? Someone who empowers the team? A numbers whiz?! Someone who deeply understands workplace psychology and knows how to `get things done through others'? Or even a master manipulator? Often, we fall back on the more cliche terms associated with good leaders - "confident," "inspirational," "assertive" and "brave." And while some (or all) of these traits are important, research shows authentic leadership is the single strongest predictor of job satisfaction, organisational commitment, and workplace happiness. As a leader today, it's critical to show a level of authenticity to get the best out of your team - and yourself, for that matter. So what does this mean exactly? What is an authentic leader? Being a bit of a self-proclaimed nerd who's most recent jam is self-improvement (middle-age crisis creeping Jacob Baldock
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