Communicate Authenticity
When thinking about how you communicate with others as a leader, think about what defines true authority. Is it a title or position, or credibility within the community?
An empowering leader derives credibility not from merely achieving a position of power but by working in that position to gain the trust and credibility to lead from members of the community.
This is what real authenticity is about. Being able to communicate that authenticity means that you are able to "reflect the reality of people's lives in word and deed," as defined by the Harwood Institute. It means that you can deliver a message with authority because you have been given that authority by a broad and deep group of people from the bottom up, not from the top down.