When people in a position of leadership merely attempt to manage their people they tend to see their people as an asset, much like a computer or printer. When someone they are attempting to manage is underperforming they think in terms of spending time on that person to bring them up to speed. That doesn’t make them a bad person or even a poor manager. It does however make them a very ineffective leader.

When a person in a position of leadership actually leads they see the people they lead as human beings. When someone they lead is underperforming they choose to invest time with them to help them reach their full potential. They never see their people as an expense, they see them as an investment. They are always an investment.

Seeing people as an expense creates nothing but problems. Seeing people as an investment creates all kinds of opportunities. Changing your mindset from “people expense” to “people investment” changes everything!

It changes you from someone occupying a position of leadership to someone with a legitimate opportunity to become an Authentic Leader.

You will know you’ve made the most of that opportunity when you are consistently showing the people you lead that you care. You will have made the most of that opportunity when you work each day to ensure that your people know that they matter more than their work. Authentic Leaders know that everyone has a need to feel worthwhile and they invest a part of themselves to make certain that their people never doubt their personal value.

Authentic Leaders are encouragers. They know becoming discouraged isn’t a weakness, it’s a part of living. They intentionally watch for times their people could use an extra boost. They provide meaningful encouragement to help them overcome rough patches.

Authentic Leaders have learned that their people value a relationship with them. It isn’t necessarily the “let’s grab a beer after work” kind of relationship. It’s more of a professional, mentor/mentee relationship. It is a relationship with enough trust that both sides can openly talk about personal and professional concerns. Authentic Leaders don’t need an “open door” policy because it’s their heart that’s always open.

Authentic Leaders are well aware that the people they lead are vital to their own success so they are a priority. They don’t invest their spare time in their people, they don’t encourage them when it’s convenient. They don’t show they care because they heard it’s important. They don’t help their people feel worthwhile so they can get more work out of them.

They do all those things because they truly care. They do those things because they care for their people as human beings and value their success as much as their own. They do all those things because they do more than manage their people, they lead them. The difference between the two is life changing.