An article that was in Entrepreneur’s online version in March of this year, 10 Behaviors of Genuine People, got me thinking.

As studio owners, you not only need genuine people, you need to be genuine to your people (customers, employees and students). Without this simple component, much of what you work hard to create and manage could be at risk.

Why do I say that? Well, genuineness earns respect, creates trust and brings out the best in people. And you want all three of those things to happen with everyone who comes through your doors.

Without respect and trust, you lose your ability to do your job as an authority, a teacher, a leader and a manager. And if you can’t bring out the best in all of these folks, how can you create a motivational atmosphere where learning is going to take place?

Surrounding yourself with genuine people isn’t necessarily easy either. According to the referenced article (and my own experience) there are lots of phonies around and sometimes they just aren’t so easy to pick out of the crowd. More and more people are want what they can’t have or to be someone else so much that they can’t be their genuine selves. And that’s unfortunate because they’re missing out.

The referenced Entrepreneur article has a great list of 10 attributes that these amazing people exude and provides a bar against which you can measure what you consider to be genuine behavior – in others but also (and probably most importantly) in yourself.

What are these 10 behaviors?

1 – They don’t seek attention.

2 – They’re not concerned with being liked.

3 – They can tell when others are full of it.

4 – They are comfortable in their own skin.

5 – They do what they say and say what they mean.

6 – They don’t need a lot of stuff.

7 – They’re not thin-skinned.

8 – They’re not overly modest or boastful.

9 – They’re consistent.

10 – They practice what they preach.

This is the list, but don’t miss out on the details the article gives you.