The last two papers, on servant and transformational leadership, belong to the latest, state-of-the-art step in the evolution of leadership perspectives. The relational or relational view developed as researchers turned to exploring the question of how to build performance in an environment that is changing faster, where more reactions, shifts and changes are needed; that is, in a word, chaotic. They realised that there was a need for greater involvement of all members, that the organisation had to function not like a machine but like an (animal) organism, and as thought evolved, the concept of the agile organisation (fast, agile, responsive) was born.
In this paper, I am focusing on a slightly younger idea of leadership. It is a view that is still at the point of development and still at the point of forming the idea itself. The problem that triggered the development of this idea of leadership is ethical scandals (the lying to shareholders and the general concealment of information at Enron is often cited as an illustrative example), but in a broad interpretation it is a response to all the actions of leaders that cause fear and uncertainty in their followers. The solution to the problem has been found in so-called authentic leadership.
About the model
Authenticity could be colloquially described as “being who you are”. But it is not quite that simple. Being who you are has multiple meanings and not all of them imply authentic behaviour as envisaged by this model. It does not, for example, mean clinging to certain behaviours, patterns of behaviour, nor even values. Genuineness and originality as envisaged by authenticity rest on some well-defined foundations. I present them in two points (the source of both is Peter G. Northouse’s Leadership Theory And Practice [seventh edition]. Sage, 2016).
Point 1
The first content addresses the characteristics of authentic leaders (by Bill George). He lists the following five:
1 Purpose and passion. Passion is the English word for passion. The same word also denotes another meaning – what in Slovenian we call passion (as in suffering). To have a passion for something means that we have a deep-seated interest in something. The example of the study of the development of commitment and the findings of the study of duck behaviour have a lot to say about this. It is characteristic of young ducklings to follow their mother and to follow her in a line. If obstacles are put in their way, if they have to fight and overcome these obstacles to keep in touch, their attachment is strengthened. Either passion is developed by overcoming obstacles on the way to a desired thing, or existing passion is strengthened in this way, it is what creates in a person the clarity and firmness of purpose that is the first characteristic presented of authentic leaders.
2 Values and behaviour. When the time comes for a test, authentic leaders do not deviate from or abandon their values, but rather reinforce them in these situations. We will often hear the metaphor of the moral or internal compass and its regulation to describe this characteristic. An authentic leader knows his or her values and aligns his or her behaviour with them.
3 Connectedness and relationships. This characteristic means the ability to open up to others in relationships, to show one’s inner self and to develop a (stronger) connection or relationship. Trust is built in a group or community through mutual disclosure, learning about personal stories. The personal openness of the leader is a good model and a good start when we want to build this kind of closeness and connection.
4 Consistency and self-discipline. In the style of the long-legged, self-discipline allows authentic leaders to stay focused on the direction they have set. They consistently get back to the essentials, are predictable in their behaviour and so others know what to expect from them. The organisation’s performance is regularly clearly ‘on track’, creating a sense of security for those involved.
5 Heart and compassion. The author of the model argues that leaders learn authenticity when they learn compassion. An authentic leader must be sensitive to the hardships and difficulties of others, open about his or her story and willing to help others.
Point 2
The components of authentic leadership include a process of self-knowledge and three ways of behaving (called self-regulatory behaviours) that make it easier to express and rely on this self-knowledge in our interactions with others:
1 Self-awareness. The first component is the (thought) process by which the individual comes to know himself. It is a reflection on one’s own values, identity, emotions, motives and goals, which results in a better grasp of who we are, how we act and also why.
2 An internalized moral perspective. This part of self-regulating behaviour addresses the recognition of external pressures either on our choices or on our behaviour. By creating a (greater) understanding of ourselves, we want this understanding to be reflected in our behaviour. Recognising external pressures is one way to keep our behaviour consistent with our own values and internal moral standards.
3 Balanced processing. It is necessary to be able to be open about our personal views and at the same time objective in considering the views of others. This outcome requires that we are able to process information objectively, that we explore the views of others before making a decision and that we avoid bias (or favouritism).
4 Transparency in relationships. The last component of authentic leadership emphasises the importance of open communication and honesty in relationships with others. We want to express ourselves (what we know about ourselves) and to do so in an appropriate way. Our communication skills are important in developing our authenticity, especially in staying in touch with others. Techniques such as assertive communication help us to do this better (and safely).
Conclusion
Authentic leadership shows most clearly of all why and how the content of leadership is not only about managing people, but also about personal growth and development. Understanding Leadership by McManus and Perruci has already been featured on this blog. In the final part of this book, the authors ask the question why lead. One answer is for the development of others, the other is for the common good, and authentic leadership completes the trinity with the answer for one’s own development.
Northouse’s work (the work from which the two pictures are taken) expresses his satisfaction with the timely and highly relevant start of the expansion of thought on authentic leadership. Today, we need to act with confidence: to start involving employees more and to build agile organisations, to enable expression, self-improvement and thus the growth and development of people at work, to consolidate (or reclaim) the role and importance of certain institutions, etc. In the author’s words: timely and worthwhile.
Paradim 