Authenticity as Your Anchor
One theme that comes up regularly when talking to emerging leaders is losing their identity and having to become someone that they are not. Some people have an idea of what an ideal leader looks like and feel that they have to adapt themselves to fit into that mould. In order to be a good leader you need to be authentic. Your authenticity is what builds relationships up. Over time it’s the authenticity that becomes theanchor that gives you confidence.
Moving from doing to leading
As designers who have built their careers by producing to move into a leadership role that all of a sudden doesn’t have a physical output can feel performative. The mindset shift is that your team and your influence becomes the output and often it takes time to build these. Understanding your strengths and values as a leader is key to leaning onto authenticity as it allows you to be honest about what you can and can’t do, as a result you are able to delegate and build relationships based on who can help you and who you can support in turn.
Finding your true north
To lead authentically, you need to know where your "True North" lies. When you move from being an individual contributor to a leader, the feedback loops change. You no longer get that hit of dopamine from finishing a Figma file or seeing a pixel-perfect component go live. Without that, it’s easy to feel adrift.
Finding your True North means identifying the non-negotiable values you bring to the table. Is it radical transparency? Is it a commitment to craft? Or perhaps it’s the belief that a happy team produces the best work. When you define these, you stop trying to mimic the "Executive Persona" you see in movies and start leading from a place of personal conviction. When your actions align with your values, leadership stops feeling like a performance and starts feeling like a purpose.
Leaning into authenticity in tough times
Authenticity, when leading, comes into its element when you or your team are going through times of change or turmoil. Not talking about how you feel or being honest (as much as you can be) can be damaging to the team and can create a divide between you and the team.
When a company I was working for went through layoffs and a reorg, the instinct from "the top" was often to stay stoic and stick to the script. But teams have a high-tuned BS detector. I found that being vulnerable –acknowledging the suck, admitting that I didn’t have all the answers, but reaffirming that I was in the trenches with them – actually strengthened our bond.
Authenticity doesn't mean "oversharing" or dumping your stress on your team; it means being human. When you are honest about the difficulty of a situation, you give your team permission to be human, too. That shared honesty is what keeps the "anchor" from dragging; it grounds everyone in reality so you can actually start moving forward again.
In conclusion leaning into your true self as a leader doesn’t mean being someone you are not, it’s about knowing yourself and your values and letting that guide you.
