If you struggle with insecurity and you desire to help others, Authentic Leadership was a wonderful guide to understanding yourself and becoming more confident in who you were meant to be. Dan Owolabi takes readers through his story with humility, humor and truthfulness. Owolabi is an example that people are not born leaders, and that taking on the task of being an authentic leader takes a lot of internal and external work. The book was insightful, interesting and overall a beneficial read. 

Owolabi wrote this book to inspire and help inspiring minds. His writing and character stays consistent throughout the duration of his book. Surprisingly, Owolabi gave me insight to unanswered questions in my head. For example, one day my roommate and I were walking and a talking point came up about insecurity. I was able to tie a theory he explained called “the gap” into a real life conversation I was having. He says that “the gap between the perception of who you are and who you really are is where insecurity thrives” (p.14). I loved how he takes real life happenings and is able to break it down into simpler terms to support understanding. 

I also liked the way the book is laid out. The book is bronze down into three different parts. He organizes these parts into a workbook style format. The three parts are the insecure leader, the authentic leader, and becoming an authentic leader. Within each part, there are chapters and subtitles explaining each section. This made every section feel important and helped me comprehend more information. He also includes important quotes from well-known artists, leaders and influential figures in many of the sections, which help signify either what you just read or what you are about to read. The quote helps you to understand the main takeaway of each chapter.

Dan Owolabi is a Christian. He grew up with two deaf parents, and was the only black family in this small town in Ohio. He talks about the confidence gap in the beginning of his book that he dealt with in high school. This is the gap between who you actually are and who you think you are. He had Nigerian immigrant parents and “instead of accepting my difference, I hid and intentionally created opportunities to put a gap between who I really was and who people thought I was” (p. 26). He quickly describes his early experiences that have helped shape him and determines his credibility by being honest about his upbringing. From the beginning, you trust Owolabi and you like him. 

Owolabi is a great story teller. Because he establishes such strong credibility from the beginning of the book, it makes each personal story and experience he shares that much more meaningful. He uses a wide variety of examples such as Micheal Jackson, biblical text and quotes from Harriet Tubman. The way that he incorporates these examples makes reading more interesting and easier to understand. I was also able to relate to him because our values align with each other. He points out insecurities that every human would be able to relate to, and is able to give solid solutions to them. 

In the first part, I learned a lot about insecurity. I now know that insecurity is not something that I should be ashamed of, and that even the most powerful and influential leaders still have insecurities. I learned the reasons why people choose inauthenticity instead. In the second part, I learned what authentic confidence is, and how it comes from a deep sense of self-worth. In the last part I learned about understanding yourself, leading yourself, understanding others and leading others. Without understanding and leading yourself, you cannot understand and lead others.

The book was balanced and each section was thoroughly thought out and executed. I did not feel like one part was more focused than another and it flowed well. Stories and examples were laid out when necessary and never excessive. 

Overall, it was an exceptional read. I would recommend it to anybody who wants to be a better person, leader, friend, parent, spouse. If you read it, I promise you will self reflect throughout while remaining entertained. It will give you great ideas to think about in your daily life. I give this book a five out of five. Are you willing to devote some time to read Authentic Leadership so you can lead yourself and others in the way you were designed? 

Quotes from the book

“But leaders are humans, not robots. We make mistakes; we battle insecurities” (Owolabi, 2020, p.13)

“Far too often, insecure leaders create the person they think others want them to be, while never becoming the authentic person they were created to be” (Owolabi, 2020, p. 31)

“Overcoming challenges unlocks confidence to overcome even greater challenges” (Owolabi, 2020, p. 53)

“Surrender to some momentary pain, then you can lead with far more courage” (Owolabi, 2020, p. 64)

“Internal self-awareness is understanding yourself at a deep level, while external self-awareness is understanding how others view you” (Owolabi, 2020, p. 79)

“At the end of life, people are most proud of who they’ve become” (Owolabi, 2020, p. 84)

“From quitting to showing up. From pretending to proving” (Owolabi, 2020, p. 98)

“Show me someone who’s naturally confident, and I’ll show you someone who is well acquainted with long seasons of self-discipline” (Owolabi, 2020, p. 99)

“When your only motive is to understand and serve others, you’ll realize how easy it is to feel confident in your leadership” (Owolabi, 2020, p. 121)

“Authentic Leaders earn influence by caring enough to hold people to a higher standard” (Owolabi, 2020, p. 132)