When a leader approaches the question, “How authentic am I?” it is often helpful to ask some other questions first: “Where is my leadership coming from? Where are my beliefs and values coming from?” Is our leadership arising from our Character, which is driven to serve others?
Or is it derived from a pattern of Coping, where we tend to react to circumstances to elicit a more immediate or self-serving result?
For example, if our actions are principally guided by safety, security and comfort, we are in a Coping pattern. This is a big one for most of us. It is also subtle. We are usually unaware of how staying safe is actually limiting new experiences and possibilities.
Personal Mastery is not about eliminating Coping. It is about increasing Character to such a degree that Character is primary and Coping is secondary.
