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Q: What did you learn about yourself in that transition?

A: One thing I’ve learned is there is no prototypical leader. In the end, you have to be yourself and work from your positions of strength to get people to follow you.

Being out there, being open, and working directly with people is my area of strength. There are other people, like Steve Jobs, who are brilliant gurus. That’s not me.

Most people think I’m very approachable, and I use that as my source of strength to lead. I go to lunch with people at all levels of the organization. That’s how I’ve built my credibility.

I can engage with people on a deeper level about the issues that are facing our business while, at the same time, sharing what we are doing overall.

If you want to be a leader, the key is to ultimately recognize what your strengths are and to leverage them rather than try to be someone you’re not. People see right through that; they pick up on the insincerity.

Q: What gets in the way of leaders being authentic?

A: People think: “A leader needs to act like x, so I need to act like x.” There’s a sense of needing to play the right part rather than being yourself.

Another thing is people often aren’t comfortable enough in their own skin to say: “I’m sorry, I’m wrong,” or “I don’t know.” I actually find this helps you build credibility. It doesn’t weaken you.

If people would say: “I don’t know,” or “please explain that,” it could help because it makes the other person feel better about your interaction with them.

Craig Dowden (Ph.D.) is president and founder ofCraig Dowden & Associates, a firm focused on supporting clients in achieving leadership and organizational excellence by leveraging the science of peak performance. Craig delivers evidence-based executive coaching and leadership development training to his clients. Connect with Craig viaemail,LinkedIn, or follow him on Twitter @craigdowden.