"The Authenticity Circle" is based on a summary of research on effective leadership in various areas, such as psychological safety, empathetic leadership, situational leadership, and much more. We have gathered research in these five areas, which you can see in the authenticity circle.
The most important thing to remember is that everyone within the organizational organism, hierarchy, or model is human. We are humans making businesses run and humans leading other humans.
Much comes back to our needs and how we function as humans to make culture flourish. Often, we think of culture as a model or procedure instead of what it is: a way to meet human needs so that they, in turn, can support the business.
Human Needs
Human needs can be divided into three types: physical, safety, and social. Building culture is more complex than we think, even if the actions may sometimes seem simple, because we must constantly balance the company's goals with human needs.
For example, the need for sleep for a working parent versus the need to meet a deadline.
Or the risk of losing trust when a project implemented from the top has to be enforced instead of staying on a path that isn't yielding results.
Sense of Responsibility and Safety
Research shows that the key is for employees to feel responsible for the results and safely share responsibility with their colleagues. To build this sense of responsibility, research suggests that the more the leader relinquishes power to the team and serves as a source of building trust and courage to take calculated risks, the more employees feel included, valued, and responsible.
At the same time, the leader plays an important role in meeting human needs, showing that it is okay to be human, including failing, having bad days, needing help, etc. This helps the leader build a strong, psychologically safe team.
Implementing the Authenticity Circle
To implement the authenticity circle in the company, it must be considered at all levels, but the main actions must be executed by the front-line leaders as they, in turn, will influence the team.
Research Outcomes
Here are some estimated numbers from various research reports:
Empathy and Empowerment: 40% higher engagement
Psychological Safety: 27% increase in team performance
Courage: 20% higher innovation levels
Human Values: 25% reduction in turnover
Trust and Delegation: 50% higher productivity
These figures demonstrate the significant impact the authenticity circle can have on an organization's success and well-being.