Angela Even2023-01-182023-01-182022-11https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12264/465Authenticity encourages equity and inclusion by allowing everyone to be their authentic self. Leaders committed to who they are and what they value are the most effective. When authenticity is valued, others notice, leading to further acceptance and inclusion. Authentic leaders that develop a climate of inclusion can prompt the learning of inclusive behaviors by others (Boekhorst, 2015). These authentic behaviors encourage inclusion. Leaders should encourage employees to behave authentically and facilitate such inclusion. These leadership behaviors promote inclusion and lead to further inclusion in followers. Finally, authenticity can be a tool that provides more emotional capital. The concept of an organization that is stronger together and strives for common goals attracts millennials (Pearl, 2019). Leaders can encourage groups to discover hidden similarities (Being, 2021) or accept and appreciate uniqueness and difference. Diversity is the presence of differences amongst the members of a group, while equity is the removal of barriers to providing an even playing field for all members. Inclusion, however, is sometimes overlooked. The group members need to be free to participate and feel they belong and have value. With leaders that model an acceptance of individuality in charge, people feel free to perform at their best. Authenticity leads to equity and inclusion while supporting diversity and inspiring others to live and lead authentically.en-USPresentation