Being Authentic, the New Strategy for Success

Research completed by Harvard psychology professors Nalini Ambady, Ph.D., and Robert Rosenthal, Ph.D. confirms our deepest suspicions – the time you’ve got to make an impact on either internal or external customer is reducing!
Observers viewed three thin slices of each professor’s behaviour – in 10-second clips from the beginning, middle and end of a class – and then rated the professors’ confidence, energy and warmth. They found that these ratings predicted with amazing accuracy the average student rating taken at semester’s end. Thinner slices – three two-second clips – also yielded ratings similarly congruent with student evaluations.
John A. Bargh, a researcher from NYU claims the assessment happens within a quarter of a second.
Think about it – in this timeframe there is only one sure-fire way that you will make an instant impact – you have to be real.
Remember there is a direct link between your physiology and psychology so instantaneously people know your natural disposition.
Other research has shown that, for most employees, the most important person in an organisation is their direct line manager and not the CEO. The relationship built between managers and their line will have a major impact on your bottom line.
People do as you do, not as you say. Whoever you are, whatever you do will be mirrored in your staff’s activities. If you want authentic, positive, proactive employees, you need to be in this space yourself first to facilitate the process.
Now more than ever, communication is key – dialogue rather than monologue. An authentic leader keeps employees informed of the ups and downs of the business and invests in their development. An authentic leader also recruits right – they are unfazed by and celebrate talent.
To build a business as a motivational speaker, you need to show that you truly walk the path of your philosophies. There is no point in directing people to live the dream if you have never set a challenging goal in your life.
So how do we become authentic, real?
Start by taking the important trip towards self-awareness. Stanford Business School Advisory Board, reports that self-awareness has been recognised as the most important capability for leaders to develop.

Kevin Kelly is an Internationally acclaimed motivational speaker and authority on entrepreneurship, sales, leadership, creativity and personal excellence.
www.kevinkellyunlimited.com

Find out why so many have recruited him as a keynote speaker in Europe, Asia and the US.

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