The Art of Authenticity - by Karissa Thacker (Hardcover)

About the Book

"The Art of Authenticity is an in-depth leadership development guidebook, designed to help its readers become the very best versions of themselves by replacing habitual reactions with authentic ones. It answers the most asked questions on authentic leadership: What can I do to become genuinely authentic in a way that befits my personal values? How can I be an honest, loyal, ethical, considerate person yet still lead a team or organization ... and maintain authenticity? Based in validated psychological research, The Art of Authenticity will equip its readers with practical real world tools to become a more authentic leader over time via reflection, action, and conscious choice"--

Book Synopsis

Leverage your authentic self into a valuable leadership strategy

The Art of Authenticity is a guide to becoming a better leader by achieving your best self. All people bring different sides of themselves to various situations. This book will show you how to broaden and deepen your effectiveness by presenting the most appropriate side of yourself. Dr. Karissa Thacker is the management psychologist called on by over two hundred Fortune 500 companies to work with high potential leaders. This book provides you with her expert guidance, based on validated psychological research and artful application of psychological principles to actual business situations, to help you become an authentic leader. You'll learn how to lead through reflection, action, and conscious choice, and how to maintain your guiding principles while effectively leading your team. By replacing habitual reactions with authentic ones, you'll find that you're modeling good behavior and effective decision-making--and that authenticity is contagious. This guide equips you with the tools and skills you need to be the catalyst of positive change your organization needs.

How do you remain authentic while being an effective leader? This book argues that the question isn't a duality. Authenticity is the best way to lead, and the only way to maintain sustainable success as an organization. This insightful guide shows you how to find your authentic self, and leverage that into an effective, executable leadership strategy.

• Become authentic in a way that befits your values
• Show loyalty, honesty, ethics, and consideration
• Maintain authenticity in leadership roles
• Make conscious choices instead of blind reactions

Some are born to lead, other must be taught, but all leaders must work to retain their own values and basic sense of self. A simple pause can mean the difference between a knee-jerk reaction and an authentic decision, and the effects ripple throughout your organization. The Art of Authenticity is your guidebook to finding the true authentic leader within, and leading from the inside out for the long haul.

From the Back Cover

Being more authentic may be the key to reaching your external dreams and achieving internal well-being. But, being an authentic leader is more than making the right ethical decision. It is a daily choice to do the work to fully be yourself so, when the pressure is high, you are in shape to step up and say the unique contribution that will produce success. The Art of Authenticity is the meaningful guide to becoming a better leader by achieving your best self.

Written to inspire everyone in the shared struggle to be true to oneself and meet business goals, this research-based guidebook sheds light on an action plan for making more mindful and conscious choices that open up possibilities for being both authentic and successful when making small, everyday decisions. Insightful examinations into the value of being authentic reveal an immediately useful psychological model of authenticity that enables you to replace habitual reactions with authentic ones that stand by your personal values, while still making effective business decisions. Illustrative case studies of real-world companies bring the psychological theories to life, and motivating "workouts" at the end of every chapter mentor you through purposeful exercises that transition you into using the framework in your real-world leadership role. Conveniently organized to be an effective learning tool as well as a quick reference, this complete resource equips you with the hands-on techniques and psychological finesse to be the influencer of positive change your organization needs. In today's globalized world, being authentic is a powerful, adaptive trait all of tomorrow's top leaders will possess, and this book prepares you to be one by:

• Providing a reliable checklist of red flags to look for when determining if a leader is authentic or just charismatic
• Offering concrete steps and guidance for developing greater self awareness
• Detailing successful strategies for blending two different thought processes without bias toward your point of view
• Examining why it matters that morality is primarily driven by gut reactions and not cognition
• And more

The Art of Authenticity shows you the way to broaden and deepen the potency of your leadership by presenting your most authentic self in every decision you make.

About the Author

Karissa Thacker is the founder and president of Strategic Performance Solutions, Inc., a management-consulting firm focused on creating innovative solutions in the space of human performance and satisfaction at work. She is a widely respected management psychologist who has served as a consultant for over 200 Fortune 500 companies including UPS, Best Buy, and AT&T. She also serves as adjunct faculty at the Lerner School of Business at the University of Delaware.