Authentic
Leadership
In the early 2000s, leadership
and leaders in general came under intense scrutiny after a series of scandals
involving top leaders of large organizations dominated the news headlines. These events led the public to believe that
this behavior ran rampant through leadership ranks in business (Rowe & Guerrero,
2018). Rowe and Guerrero (2018) explained
that authentic leadership came about in 2003 as a response to the public outcry
for change. The public demanded “more honest, more trustworthy, and more genuine
leadership” (p. 202) and that is exactly what authentic leadership gave
them.
The question was what are
we going to do about it and how can we prevent it from happening again? Creating a new leadership style called
Authentic Leadership was the leadership community’s partial solution and contribution
to answering the questions at issue. The
business community addressed the question through policy changes, transparency being
the most significant. These were
difficult questions and the truth is, there is no real answer. There were too many assumptions made during
this trying time. The public assumed all
leaders are crooks and we assumed that authentic leadership was the
answer. Not all leaders are crooks and
even if we could force all leaders into the authentic leadership style, it
would not solve this problem. People intent
on doing the wrong thing are going to do the wrong thing. We are forced into a reactive posture because
we have to trust our leaders to do the right thing. And, the vast majority of them do.
If we had not reacted as
we did, there is a chance the public would have acted less aggressively. However, that chance would be very small or
unlikely. So, neutralize the situation as
quickly as possible, then solve the problem makes the most sense. Either way, the public's claims were legitimate and they required an appropriate response.
The information available
was limited to what the media provided and it was not laudatory of leadership. Some of it was true and some of it was
not. Leaders have too much power and too
much autonomy to use it. Leaders do not
answer to anyone. All leaders
participate in the same types of behavior.
True or not, we needed to answer the accusations. So, we offered the concept of authentic
leadership in response.
It has been a while since
the last major scandal and things have settled down. We still continue to inject transparency in
what we do and strive to improve our leadership skills. No one wants the things that happened at
Enron to happen again. Awareness,
transparency, audits and new leadership concepts cannot hurt but, unfortunately,
they will not stop the next person from trying to get away with it.
The critics that believe
authentic leadership is a way to manipulate and deceive followers should think about their claim a bit further. I would argue that every form of leadership
offers the leader the opportunity to manipulate and deceive followers. This is why trust is such an important part
of leadership. It has to be earned over
time, but it can be violated in an instant.
Authentic leadership came along after the scandals; it did not cause the
scandals nor will it fix them, but it could address them. However, recognizing
these incidents for what they really are is my advice. They are the actions of an individual
criminal. They are not indicative of a
cancer afflicting all leaders. Deal with
them swiftly, appropriately, and publicly.
To do otherwise, is to harm the larger, innocent group. It may be that the critics of authentic
leadership misunderstand what constitutes ‘authentic’ in this context. I did.
I had mixed feelings
about authentic leadership. My first
reaction was, is there any other kind? Authentic
should be a prerequisite for leadership.
After a second look, I realized that the elements that define authentic leaders are legitimate. It is very important for leaders to know
themselves well enough to trust themselves to lead.
According to Rowe and Guerrero (2018) it is because self-aware leaders
understand their strengths and weaknesses, are tuned in to how their behavior
affects others, and know who they are and what they stand for, other people
perceive these leaders as more authentic” (p. 204).
Authentic leaders have an
internalized moral perspective. They
will “resist external pressures that are contrary to their moral standards
through an internal regulation process that ensures their values are congruent with
the anticipated outcomes of a behavior” (p. 204). In other words, authentic leaders are not easily
swayed from their deeply held beliefs and values nor would they likely be persuaded
to act against them.
Authentic leaders use
balanced processing. They listen to all
the information in an objective manner before they make a decision. In other words, they think before they act. They do not make hasty decisions that have to
be reversed later.
Finally, authentic
leaders exhibit relational transparency. They understand they are not perfect
and they do not attempt to be. They are
willing to admit their mistakes and learn from them. This self-disclosure is not easy , but it is
necessary to building trust and sound relationships (Rowe & Guerrero, 2018).
According to Rowe and
Guerrero (2018) self-awareness, internalized moral perspective, balanced processing,
and relational transparency are the attributes of the authentic leader. I would argue that they are attributes every
leader, regardless of their style, should strive to attain. Perhaps
authentic is the best name for this leadership style because as Bill George
(2015) points out, these leaders are real and genuine, “you cannot ‘fake it
till you make it’ by putting on a show as a leader or being a chameleon in your
style. People sense very quickly who is authentic and who is not” (para.
5). George (2015) goes on to say that all
authentic leaders have five qualities in common: 1) they understand their
purpose, 2) they practice solid values, 3) they lead with heart, 4) they
establish connected relationships, and 5) they demonstrate self-discipline.
While I do not believe authentic
leadership will prevent a leader that is intent on doing the wrong thing from
following through with those plans, people who truly embrace the attributes and
qualities of the authentic leader would not likely involve themselves in such
scandalous behavior. Business could
benefit from having more authentic leaders throughout its organizations,
especially in its top positions. I, for
one, see authentic leadership qualities as excellent goals to pursue.
~Pete
References
George, B. (2015, November
10). The true qualities of authentic leaders. Forbes.com. Accessed November 24,
2018 from https://www.forbes.com/sites/hbsworkingknowledge/2015/11/10/the-true-qualities-of-authentic-leaders/#31d5c382f74d
Rowe, W. G., & Guerrero, L.
(2018). Cases in leadership. (5th ed.). Los Angeles, CA: SAGE
Publishing.
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