Authentic leadership sounds so so good. So humane, so natural. We tend to value people who appear to us to be lacking in pretention, and lacking in guile. We don’t like people to be fake, so we immediately embraced authentic leadership as a desirable and valued approach to leadership.
Except we haven’t asked the right questions. For example:
Is it even possible for anyone to be truly authentic in anything?
Are there times when a leader MUST hide his or her feelings, and keep certain information from others for the sake of followers?
Is it possible for leaders in business to be “authentic” within a business environment where disclosure can put one’s business at risk?
Is authentic leadership something that is done for the benefit of followers and employees, or a principle that creates smug leaders focusing on the principle rather than the welfare of followers?
There are a lot more questions that consider being authentic in light of the role of the leader in our organizations and our society.
Some Thought Provoking Resources
To stimulate your thinking, below you will find selected articles on various aspects of authentic leadership. Some are basic. Some are more investigative, but all are intended to help you move beyond the surface of being authentic so you can take the best of the leadership approach and adapt it to your everyday work.
Authentic Leadership By Kevin Cashman
Presents the basic principles underlying authentic leadership and the five touchstones. Basic starting point if you are new to authentic leadership.
Authentic Leadership Can Be Bad Leadership – Harvard Business Review By Deborah Gruenfeld and Lauren Zande
Most people can agree that authenticity is of great value. We’d rather be — or follow — a leader who is for real than one who is faking it. Acting in a way that feels truthful, candid, and connected to who you really are is important, and is a leadership quality worth aspiring to. On the other hand, being who you are and saying what you think can be highly problematic if the real you is a jerk. In practice, we’ve observed that placing value on being authentic has become an excuse for bad behavior among executives. It’s important to realize that what makes you you is not just the good stuff — your values, aspirations and dreams; the qualities others love most. For most people, what comes naturally can also get pretty nasty. When you are overly critical, non-communicative, crass, judgmental, or rigid, you are probably at your most real — but you are not at your best. In fact, it is often these most authentic parts of a leader that need the most management.
Authentic Leadership: Looking in the Mirror By Sarah Fenson
So to be truly genuine – or authentic -a leader requires a few things: To ensure that one’s corporate actions and rhetoric are aligned; to ensure that such actions are meaningful (as opposed to superficial, headline-grabbing actions that don’t take root beyond the organization’s need for disingenuous publicity); and to ensure that one’s public persona and private core are not at odds.
Can the Masks of Command Coexist with Authentic Leadership? By Jim Heskett
Do authentic leaders need “masks of command”? Instructors seek case studies posing issues that provoke discussion on both sides of an issue and raise many questions. We seem to have found such an issue this month: Can the “masks of command” coexist with authentic leadership?
The Challenge of Authentic Leadership | Business Ethics By Gael O’Brien
Of all the styles and types of leadership, something called authentic leadership seems the easiest to achieve – after all, who wouldn’t want to be, and come across as, the genuine article? But it may be more complicated than that. Columnist Gael O’Brien asks: “Is it possible that a 21st century leadership can emerge that involves self awareness, emotional intelligence, and authenticity?”
What is the Authentic Leadership Theory? By Melinda Longoria
Many talk about authentic leadership as if it’s a simple idea, but in fact, it’s not at all. In this comprehensive article, you’ll find three different perspectives on authenticity.
How to Manage Someone You Don’t Like By Amy Gallo Testing Authenticity In Real Life
Lots of comments on this one on HBR. Excerpt: Everybody complains about incompetent bosses or dysfunctional co-workers, but what about irritating direct reports? What should you do if the person you manage drives you crazy? If the behavior is a performance issue, there’s a straightforward way to address what’s irking you — but what do you do when it’s an interpersonal issue? Is it possible to be a fair boss to someone you’d avoid eating lunch with — or must you learn to like every member of your team?
For more resources on leadership, visit The Leadership Resource Center where you’ll find more on authentic leadership, leadership styles and more.
Robert posts new material on conflict management, leadership, work performance, communication, customer service and more. The best way to be informed of new content without hassle is to follow or connect to him on Linkedin.