Authentic Leadership
Being authentic means being honest.... among other things
In order to build effective relationships, more leaders need to be authentic in their dealing with others. Being authentic means being honest, open, self aware, transparent and ethical, in a way that others will value. I believe authentic leaders are mainly positive people who promote those qualities in themselves, and often promote in others through their transformational and ethical leadership.
I am convinced that staying close to my core beliefs has enhanced my authentic leadership of others. I am unlikely to stray from those core beliefs; they have allowed me to make good decisions about who I work with, work for and surround myself with. Authentic leaders need to constantly adapt their style and behaviors to be effective across varying styles and situations. One size does not fit all, so to speak. People are diverse and leaders must incorporate these needs into their own value system in order to accept the diversity of others.
People value authentic leaders, and those leaders usually have many followers. Authentic leaders believe people are more valuable than money and/or profits, so if you are authentic in your dealings with others at work, you will no doubt see improvement in your personal and professional friendships.