Make every effort to give yourself to God as the kind of person He will approve. Be a worker who is not ashamed and who uses the true teaching in the right way. (2 Timothy 2:15)

Ponder It.
When have you experienced inauthentic leadership?
How have you been inauthentic with someone who looks up to you?
How are you intentionally growing as a leader? Are you growing toward authenticity?

Receive It. You have influence on lives. You can’t avoid it. Accept it and grow as an authentic leader by challenging yourself with the following tips:

• Be honest. Honesty seems like an assumption in leadership, but don’t take it for granted. In order to be honest with others, you must be honest with yourself. In order to be honest with yourself, you must be honest with God. Sometimes there is stuff in our lives which we’ve ignored, hidden, or distorted for so long that we don’t know the reality of where we are. It’s time to get real and grow.
• Know doubts. There’s a significant difference between “know doubt” and “no doubt.” Whether you admit it or not, you have doubts. When you don’t acknowledge your doubts, they undermine the influence you have on others. It’s important to struggle through and talk about your questions, one at a time, and pray for guidance and answers.
• Acknowledge vulnerability. What you don’t know can hurt you. It’s important to know you’re not indestructible or impenetrable. You are susceptible to stress, temptation, detachment and much more. Vulnerability isn’t a weaknesses; it’s a part of life. Failing to accept it will only result in being blind-sided in the future.
• Listen. Be genuinely interested in others’ lives. As you connect with someone, both lives will be nourished. Invest in others, and learn from others.
• Do what you say. Nothing screams hypocrisy louder than a leader who teaches one thing and does something contrary. Don’t teach anything you can’t live out unless you’re willing to share how you struggle. No one has all the answers. Once you accept what you don’t know and have, people will respect what you do know and have.

Live It. Choose one of the tips above and put it into practice today. Talk, teach, share, listen, live, and lead authentically.