What are the best traits in an authentic leader?

Honesty - Dedication to Mission at hand - Listening - Flexibility - Supporting Your PEOPLE - Respecting Your PEOPLE - Time Management - Straightforward communications up and down the chain.

Honesty

The best qualities to be an authentic leader are: you should be true to yourself and others, you should come from a place of loving, understanding and guidance, and lastly you should put your your fellow teammates issues and resolves above your own.

The ability to genuinely listen and care about the person you're listening to.
Being curious about other's perspective.

The ability to genuinely listen and care about the person you're listening to.
Being curious about other's perspective.

The best traits for an authentic leader would have to be patience because being a leader will test it constantly and if you haven't disciplined your mind then your decision making and problem solving abilities will be compromised. Next thing a leader needs is empathy because a cold, ruthless leader will eventually become the enemy of those he is supposed to lead. Finally, an effective leader should be someone who is self-aware. Someone capable of recognizing their own weaknesses, someone who can push aside their ego and admit when they're wrong, and somebody who knows the evil things of which they are capable of, yet harnesses that energy and uses it in appropriate situations to protect himself, his team and his country, sometimes using deadly force without hesitation.

Honesty with all, clear communication skills, make timely decisions, and a strong capability to listen.

An authentic leader is also a transformational leader. Someone who is not telling others what to do, but showing by example. If one were to leave a job or organization, what did they leave behind? If they were a good leader, they would have set an example for the organization to run smoothly. A good leader provides good ideas, beneficial for the greater good.

A lot of the answers so far indicate character traits that I can't possible argue with. However, I'd like to add some skills that an authentic leader often possesses:

1. An authentic leader can quickly identify and muster an individuals unique talents toward the end goal.
2. An authentic leader knows what responsibilities to delegate and which must stay theirs to decide (Mission vs personnel, for example).
3. An authentic leader knows that trust is reciprocal between them and their team. They will never trust you if you do not demonstrate your trust of them and their abilities.
4. An authentic leader knows when to give people space to fail and how to use that failure to build them up.

Traits of being a good leader, are being accountable to yourself and to your team. Being self reflective, and redirecting yourself or your team when you realize you made a mistake or its time to pivot.
Everyone deserves dignity, avoid bullying or demean others publicly, even when a correction is warranted. Calculate and time it out. Encourage the continued morale of your team.