1. Develop trust: When you speak the truth, you're true to yourself. Do it consistently, and you begin to trust your own decisions, especially as someone who has the best interest of those around you. Then other people will trust you too, and you'll command their respect.
2. Increase integrity: Show me an authentic person, I'll show you a person of integrity. This person doesn't hesitate to do the right thing (even when nobody is looking, as the saying goes). To work with or under someone like this means to never have to second-guess their motives; who they are, what they do, and what they believe in are all aligned to serve the interests of the whole team, the organization, and the mission.
3. Solve problems head-on: A leader who is authentic is honest. I'm not talking about telling a co-worker that his lime-green tie is ugly. I'm saying that when you're emotionally honest with yourself and others, you have the courage to be open and direct enough to deal with issues quickly instead of procrastinating, delegating it away, or just plain ignoring the problem.
4. Realize their potential: Authentic leaders reach the top of the pyramid because they're able to trust themselves to do what they know is right. By following their internal moral compass and not caving in to the opinions of others, they control their destiny. They know who they are; they know where they're headed.
5. Boost self-esteem: Trusting themselves to make the right choices leads to higher self-confidence and self-esteem; authentic leaders see the glass as half-full, which leads to frequent joy and vitality along the journey.
6. Decreased stress: Let me ask you a question: if you lived a life true to yourself and your word, spoke what you meant, and expressed your values and beliefs (walked the talk) daily, how would that make you feel? Probably way less stressed, I imagine, and maybe you would even garner more self-respect. Truth is, being authentic is far less stressful than being someone you're not.
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