What if the vigilance for authenticity can make a significantly positive impact on our lives?

 What looks true - may not be! One of my weekly emails keeps me focused on being faithful to my call. Entitled Leadership Wired, it's free and you can sign up via www.injoy.com. This is a resource profiling the books and thoughts of Dr. John Maxwell, one of the world's leading motivational speakers, and primarily to corporate America.

A recent Leadership Wired talked about having a legitimate leadership legacy. Peter Drucker, himself a well known writer and speaker on motivation says, "There is no success without a successor". As a graduate student, a statement from one of my professors has stuck with me all these 48 years, was 'seek to work yourself out of a job'. There's only so much one person can do, no matter how proficient a multi tasker may view themselves. As we progress into 2024 we hear and see the pledges of this year's candidates for the U.S Presidency as promises to voters. Business 2.0 asked fifty business superstars how we can succeed. Despite the diversity of those corporate leaders interviewed, three themes echoed through-out the responses. Those themes were authenticity, trust and simplicity. Imagine the mess if authenticity could not be part of our moral compass? So, what would such a vigilance give us?

Rachel Ray, one of America's cooking gurus on television and author of best-selling cook books says, "You can't be all things to all people. Whatever it is that you are successful at, that has to be your number one goal. In my case, it's accessibility. So all of my products have to be usable, accessible and affordable. Decide what it is that you are and then stay true to that thing. My brand is based very much on how I live my day-to-day life".  Former chairman and chief executive officer of Hasbro Toys, Alan Hassenfeld said, "Every product and every brand has a core essence. Don't sacrifice that core essence as you update your product".

Authenticity is all about truth. So where does truth come from? Ultimately it cannot be us - for we're created. We learn from others and follow their example - sometimes with disastrous results. But we can choose to be authentic and when motivated to be otherwise. I really appreciate these words from Philippians 4:8, a New Testament book. "Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about things." As one thinks, so he/she is. Thank goodness vigilant authenticity is an available clear choice for each of us.

Be Well.