LEADING IMPERFECTLY: THE VALUE OF BEING AUTHENTIC FOR LEADERS. PROFESSIONALS. AND HUMAN BEINGS In this talk, James sets the stage for discussing what student members are hungry for from their leadership: a true sense of authenticity and two-way communication for their organization—not untouchable heroes, but fellow flawed humans. James will challenge you to think about leadership differently by considering this concept: authentic leadership is about using your experiences, your shortcomings, and lessons learned so your followers can feel more connected to you. As James likes to say, “As humans, we can’t learn things from people who are perfect, we can only learn things from people who are imperfect.” James will help you break down this concept by utilizing one of his trademark quirky acronyms PEORM: authentic leaders are Purposeful in their actions, they Empower others, Own who they are, are Real people, and are Moral. He further defines the characteristics of an authentic leader by sharing his own personal stories that range from the hilarious to the tragic and life-altering. Rather than dwelling on cliché leadership topics and merely reaffirming leadership talents.