To lead authentically, you need to know yourself.

Whether we are aware of it or not, our integrity and identity are part of who we are as leaders and educators. It is on this foundation that we build connections with those we lead and are able to invite them into spaces where they can be authentic themselves. Together we can grow, create, and make the world just a little bit better.

Authenticity is an essential ingredient for effective leadership and is built on both identity and integrity, as well as collaboration with others within the context of relationship (Northouse, 2022).

Identity: Knowing ourselves as leaders and scholars means we must explore what Palmer (2017) calls the “inner landscape.” We bring our identity with us into the spaces in which we lead and teach (Palmer, 2017).

Integrity: Our integrity comes with us into the spaces in which we lead.
Integrity, according to Palmer (2017), is not about ethics, but about an integrated sense of self -- a self that is whole, integrating life experiences and values and beliefs in a meaningful, authentic way.

Here's to all the ways we seek to create authentic spaces as we lead and teach -- even when it's challenging. And how we persist in this endeavour, even when we mess up along the way.