Hello and welcome back. This episode I call Being an Authentic Entrepreneurial Leader. Oh, those words. So I had a clarity moment during my four-day personal retreat.
One of the things I did, and something that came to me during that retreat, was I was thinking about my clients that I’ve been working with now for almost 30 years. I was thinking about the content that I teach them. And I was thinking about now the icing on the cake in that content, which is the Shine content, the three discoveries, the 10 Disciplines.
As I was thinking about the content and I was thinking about the clients, I thought about how I’ve always worked with entrepreneurial leaders. That’s been my specialty. That’s been my gift in helping them be the best that they can be. And in thinking about that, I then thought about the Shine content and what we’re doing now. And with the Shine content, I thought about it as helping people become the best healthy humans they can be.
In combining those two thoughts, to me it was kind of like peanut butter and chocolate.
So bringing those two things together led me to this set of words. I was journaling as I was doing this, and I wrote down these three words: authentic, entrepreneurial, leader. Each one stands on its own, but together they’re like magic. Peanut butter and chocolate.
Being an authentic entrepreneurial leader. Oh, how those words sing to me. And that’s what I want to spend the rest of my life doing.
Now, not everyone in our Shed and Shine podcast audience is an entrepreneurial leader. I know that. But most are. That’s what we tend to attract. Probably 85 percent of our audience. I don’t know.
I wrestled with whether to share this message, knowing the Shed and Shine audience is for driven people. But then I realized and I would challenge you to consider that no matter who you are in life, a teacher, a cop, a stay-at-home parent, a nurse, an athlete, an artist, or the leader of an entrepreneurial company, I believe you would make an impact if you were an authentic entrepreneurial leader.
If you led the people in your life in an authentic entrepreneurial way.
So humor me. Suspend disbelief. I believe this message applies to you, whoever you are.
All I’m going to do in this episode is give you my definition of what an authentic entrepreneurial leader is. Each of those three words stands on its own. I’m going to define each one, and then it’s the combination of the three that makes the definition.
It’s a smorgasbord. You could choose just one. But I urge you to put all three together.
Let’s start with the first word, authentic.
The definition of authentic is being in fact. Not fraudulent or counterfeit or false. Genuine. Real. True to one’s own spirit. Synonyms are genuine, real, true, original.
That definition may ring a bell from a previous episode.
For me, real always comes up. My hope is that I become 100 percent real.
The next word is honest. An authentic person is always honest with themselves and with others.
Being authentic is being emotionally intelligent. You know your feelings and you can read other people’s feelings. You know how you’re affecting a room and yourself.
It’s being fully your True Self. It’s letting your freak flag fly.
Being authentic is shedding your shit. You’re doing the work. Shedding ego, traumas, and blocks from the past. You’re being an example.
You’re open. Completely open. Ready to receive whatever comes, good or bad, praise or criticism.
Using EOS as an example, I created an exercise where leadership teams give each other feedback annually. I crave it. If you don’t, you’re not that open, and that’s something to reflect on.
You’re humble. You’re transparent. There’s nothing to hide.
And people can see your soul. They can see exactly who you are.
That’s my definition of authentic.
Now entrepreneurial.
Entrepreneurial people believe they must create value before they deserve anything. We get by giving.
They’re driven. Healthy driven. Peaceful driven. See Shine for more on that.
They take total responsibility. They default to the mirror.
They’re problem solvers. They lean in.
They’re creative. They create.
They have common sense. Instinct. Intuition. Street smarts.
They’re passionate about their thing.
They’re risk takers. They understand risk and reward. They’re willing to fail. They beg forgiveness instead of asking permission.
That’s the entrepreneurial spirit.
Now leader.
Leaders have a vision for the future.
They help first. They serve.
They love their people.
They provide clear direction. They point.
They inspire. They make people long for the sea.
They let go. They trust.
They know what they want with clarity.
They are direct. No tiptoeing. No candy coating.
That’s my definition of an authentic entrepreneurial leader.
I don’t know if I’m right. Try it on.
If it resonates, send it to someone who needs it.
Let’s be it. Let’s share it. And someday, let’s change the world.
Thank you for listening. We appreciate you spending time with us. Until next time, we wish you all the best in freeing your True Selves, staying focused, and much love.
