The current popular color palate in home décor is predominantly grey.

Don’t get me wrong; I like grey. Case in point, I painted my Laundry Room grey before it was the color of the decade. It’s neutral, clean, and you can choose from a multitude of shades. I like it because it lends well to an accent color, like red.

I love red. Now, don’t go psychoanalyzing me based on my color preference. I don’t believe we identify personality traits through hue fondness. I trust we are far more complicated beings than that!

But my love for red has been longstanding.

I’ve incorporated the passionate color into my home since I have been living on my own. There was a time when red was the popular color. But not so much lately. Instead, grey has taken center stage, and red has become a lesser-known stagehand.

I’ll be honest, I have given thought to getting rid of some of my red décor, but I don’t. Why? Because while I don’t have any aversions to grey, my loyalty to red supersedes the latest craze. And just because that may not be the trendy color today doesn’t mean my preference should change.

This is true in leadership.

Have you noticed certain buzzwords become popular, and suddenly everyone is speaking the same robotic language, yet nobody seems to understand the point? For example:

• Robust Approach
• Audacious Goals
• Financial Stewardship
• Servant Leaders

Any of these sounds familiar?

Hint: if you want to identify who the butt kissers are in the company, listen to how their vocabulary begins to mirror senior leadership.

Authenticity

(aka: Keeping it real) does not conform to social trends. Authentic leaders understand the importance of remaining true to themselves and the teams in which they lead. Why would you want to separate yourself from your team by communicating with them in a manner they are not accustomed to or understand? This instills confusion and a lack of trust.

Self-Awareness

(aka: Know who you are and own it) separates real leaders from managers. Managers think of themselves and where they want to be. Leaders are focused on the team and getting there together.

Trust is critical in leadership.

Nobody will follow you if they don’t trust you. You can’t effectively lead people if they do not follow. Plain and simple.

Advocacy for the team and not for a title.

Good leaders put others first and are motivated by the team, not by promoting or recognizing the C-Suite. Good leaders focus on people, not titles.

Be authentic – be true to yourself, the teams you lead, the people you love and to the life you live.

In a world full of trends, remain a classic.

Grey may complement other colors, but RED keeps it interesting!