The authenticity of an organisation's senior management team is instrumental in developing an award-winning place to work.

It sounds obvious, but managers and leaders who are genuine, open and authentic, and willing to share their mistakes, as well as their successes, will inspire loyalty and trust amongst their teams.

This helps to achieve better results, stronger teamwork and higher levels of staff retention.

Here are four signs of a workplace which has successfully developed an authentic leadership culture:

Aligned vision and values It is far easier for managers to be authentic in all actions and communications if they genuinely share the organisation's vision, values and purpose. It enables them to lead employees with integrity, honesty and passion, without feeling the need to mask their true selves.

Diverse senior management team

All great teams display a range of different approaches, experiences and outlooks, as this results in better decision-making. There are a range of ways to achieve this including through gender, ethnicity, age and different backgrounds. The organisation's focus will be on supporting a diverse range of high-calibre employees to become successful managers while staying true to their natural style and unique strengths.

Culture of trust and open communication

A natural management style can help to foster the trust and respect needed to build open and transparent relationships. Employees are more likely to trust their managers to deliver on their word. They will also feel confident to be open about when things have gone wrong, knowing they will be listened to and supported to put it right.

Highly engaged managers

Supporting employees to become authentic managers is one of the most valuable investments a company can make. If managers know that the 'how' is as important as the end goal, they are more likely to develop and empower their own teams creating better succession planning for the business in the medium term.

Our Best Employers Eastern Region survey is designed to provide free insights on how employees perceive their organisation's current leadership and management style. To find out more visit www.best-employers.co.uk