Coaching for Authentic Leadership: The Nine Capacities You Need to Master

These days people don't just want a competent leader; they want a genuine and ethical one. This is the heart of Authentic Leadership—a leadership style that emphasises alignment between a leader's internal values and their external behaviour.

Drawing from the insightful work on successful sustainability leaders by Baan, Long, and Pearlman, let's explore the nine personal capacities that define and develop true authentic leadership.

The Nine Capacities for Authentic Leadership and How to Develop Them in Coaching

Authentic leaders continuously work on themselves. Here are the nine capacities identified by Baan, Long, and Pearlman, along with authentic leadership coaching actions you can take to foster them.

Capacity	Core Meaning	Coaching for Development
1. Being Present	Being fully aware—physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually—in the current moment. This includes connecting with others and the environment.	Practice Mindfulness: Dedicate 5-10 minutes daily to focusing only on your breath. Before any meeting, take 30 seconds to center yourself, put away distractions, and commit to actively listening without preparing your response.
2. Suspension & Letting Go	The ability to observe your thoughts, assumptions, and habitual patterns (like fear or judgment) without immediately reacting.	Journal Your Reactions: When a situation triggers a strong emotion (e.g., frustration), pause. Write down the thought, the feeling, and the immediate reaction you wanted to take. Then, analyse a more constructive, delayed response.
3. Intention Aligned with Higher Purpose	Aligning your authentic nature and internal resonance with your actions in the world.	Define Your "Why": Articulate your personal mission statement—why you lead and what impact you want to have that is greater than yourself. Ensure your weekly goals directly serve this higher purpose.
4. Whole System Awareness	The capacity to quickly switch between different perspectives, scales, and worldviews to see the big picture and the interconnections within it.	"Walk the Floor": Regularly meet with people in different departments or roles, especially those seemingly disconnected from your daily work. Ask them: "What is your biggest challenge, and how does your work impact the overall organisation?"
5. Compassion	Having unconditional acceptance and kindness toward all dimensions of oneself and others, reflecting without judgment.	Practice Self-Compassion: Recognise your own efforts and struggles without self-criticism. Extend this non-judgmental view to your team. Assume others are doing the best they can in any given situation.
6. Whole Self-Awareness	The continual, lifelong process of consciously observing and knowing the various dimensions of your self (physical, mental, emotional, spiritual).	Seek 360-Degree Feedback: Ask trusted colleagues, direct reports, and supervisors for honest, specific feedback on what they find most and least effective about your leadership style. Be open to hearing it all.
7. Personal Power	The ability to use energy and drive to manifest wise actions in the world for the greater good, while being aware of your influence.	Delegate with Intent: Identify tasks you hold onto that others could develop through. Empower them with responsibility, and use your freed-up energy and drive to focus on high-impact, strategic decisions that serve the broader organisation.
8. Dealing with Dualities & Paradox	The capacity to manage polarities, sit with ambiguity, and hold multiple, often conflicting, perspectives simultaneously.	Hold "Yes, And" Discussions: When faced with a decision that has two opposing, valid viewpoints (e.g., "be lean" and "invest for growth"), create a meeting agenda to explore how both can be true. Avoid choosing one or the other too quickly.
9. Sense of Humour	The final, crucial capacity that allows you to maintain perspective and ease tension.	Lighten Up: Start your next team meeting with a light-hearted personal story or a non-work-related laugh. Be willing to laugh at yourself and share your vulnerabilities. This fosters trust and psychological safety.

The framework of the "Nine Personal Capacities of Authentic Leaders" that informs this coaching post is based on research by Baan, Long, and Pearlman. Their work shows that these capacities are foundational for leaders—especially in areas like sustainable community development—who seek to embody authenticity and create positive, enduring change.

Coaching Activity: Choose just one of the nine capacities that feels most challenging right now. What small action will you take today to start its development?

Would you like me to elaborate on a specific capacity or suggest more tailored coaching exercises?

Want to know? Book a FREE introductory coaching call with Marion and explore our leadership coaching packages.