I woke up this morning to an encouraging email from my father-in-law; it was one of those A-HA! emails that brought clarity and new understanding. The email referenced an excerpt from “The God of the Bible“ by R.T. Kendall.

It got me really thinking about what is needed in authentic leadership, and how it is determined by the we react to temptation and testing. Leading authentically means being open, honest and real. The idea suggests that we cannot help others unless we share ourselves openly and honestly — that we are “real”. But true authenticity begins with understanding the story of our lives. Our story provides context for our experiences, and through it, we can find the inspiration to make an impact in the world. We cannot get confused, the story of our life is not about our life. It is our story. Put it another way, it’s our life’s narrative that matters, not the facts of our lives. While authentic leadership is a good thing (how can one argue with being honest and real), but maybe being completely and utterly authentic can be problematic for leaders if we do not fully understand our life story. What is your life story saying…