All too often as change practitioners we find ourselves unable to establish the influence we feel that we need with leaders. When this happens, the tendency is to melt into our role rather than be ourselves; to speak gently—if at all—about things the leaders need to do differently for the change to succeed; and to play the game to stay in the game.

If you are comfortable in this role, or need to maintain it for personal or professional reasons, then How Can You Spot True Leaders? They Do Any of These 3 Super Rare Things Daily may not be an article for you.

But if you are looking for leaders you can support while being true to yourself, Marcel Schwantes identifies these three things to pay attention to.

  1. They speak their truth
  2. They display courageous vulnerability
  3. They manage with compassion

Not every leader who expresses herself in this way will be right for you. Perhaps your truths aren’t aligned, your “styles” clash, or there is no “chemistry.” But keep looking. True leaders are out there that you, as a true practitioner, can successfully support.

New articles that we post to our blog are announced in the Change Management Weekly, our digest of actionable insights for change delivered to your Inbox every Tuesday. To claim your free subscription, click here:

Share With Your Colleagues