Authentic Leadership

Chapter 10 – Authentic Leadership
Leadership
Authentic Leadership
Northouse, 5th edition

Overview
 Authentic Leadership Description
 Authentic Leadership Defined
 Approaches to Authentic Leadership
 Factors that Influence Authentic
Leadership
How does Authentic Leadership theory
work?
Authentic Leadership Description

Perspective
Authentic Leadership – focuses on

whether leadership is genuine
Interest in Authentic Leadership
– Increasing in recent times due to social
upheavals
– People longing for trustworthy leaders
– Identified earlier in transformational
leadership research but not studied
separately
– Needed evidence-based research of construct
Authentic Leadership Defined

Intrapersonal Definition:
– Leadership based on self-concept and how self-
concept relates to actions (Shamir & Eliam,
2005)
– Relies on the life-story of the leader
– Followers need to affirm leader’s legitimacy
 Four Authentic Leadership Characteristics:
– ALs exhibit genuine leadership.
– ALs lead from conviction
– ALs are originals, not copies
– ALs base their actions on their values

Developmental Definition:
– Leadership can be nurtured, and develops over a
lifetime (Avolio & Gardner, 2005)
– Can be triggered by major life events
– Leader behavior is grounded in positive psychological
qualities and strong ethics
 Four authentic leadership components:
– Self-awareness
– Internalized moral perspective
– Balanced processing
– Relational transparency

 Interpersonal Definition:
– Leadership is created by leaders and followers
together (Eagly, 2005)
– Leaders need to obtain “buy in” from followers
– Intended outcomes achieved only when
followers identify with leader’s values
– Leaders create change when they adapt their
message to followers’ values
Practical Approaches to Authentic

Leadership
Research
 Robert Terry (1993)
– Action-centered model
– Leaders should strive to do what is right
– Two core leadership questions:
 What is really, really going on?
 What are we going to do about it?
– Developed Authentic Action Wheel to help leaders
frame problems
 Locate the problem on the diagnostic wheel
 Strategically select an appropriate response to the
problem
Terry’s Authentic Action Wheel

Practical Approaches to Authentic

Leadership
Research
 Bill George (2003, 2007)
– Leader characteristic model
– Leaders have genuine desire to serve others
– Five characteristics of Authentic Leaders
 Understand their purpose
 Strong values
 Trusting relationships
 Self-discipline
 Act from the heart (mission)
The Authentic Leader’s Characteristics

Theoretical Approaches to Authentic

Leadership
Research
 Recent research spurred by:

- Leadership summit publications (2005)
- Social upheaval and desire for leadership that
serves the common good
- Need to explore meaning of authentic leadership
and create theoretical framework
- Need to define the construct of authentic
leadership
Definition of Authentic Leadership

“A pattern that draws upon and promotes
both positive psychological capacities
and a positive ethical climate, to foster
greater self-awareness, an internalized
moral perspective, balanced processing
of information, and relational
transparency on the part of leaders
working with followers, fostering positive
self-development.”
Walumbwa, Avolio, Gardner, Wernsing & Peterson, 2008
Basic Model of Authentic Leadership

Leadership as a process
 FOUR COMPONENTS:
– Self-awareness
 Reflecting on one’s core values, identity, emotions, motives
 Being aware of and trusting your own feelings
– Internalized moral perspective
 Self-regulatory process using internal moral standards to
guide behavior
– Balanced processing
 Ability to analyze informational objectively and explore other
people’s opinions before making a decision
- Relational transparency
 Being open and honest in presenting one’s true self to others
Factors that Influence Authentic

Leadership
Antecedent Factors
 Positive psychological capacities
- Confidence
- Hope
- Optimism hopefulness and confidence about the future or the success of something
- Resilience the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness.
 Moral Reasoning Capacities
- Deciding right and wrong
- Promoting justice, greater good of the
organization or community
Factors that Influence Authentic

Leadership
Antecedent Factors
Critical Life Events

- Positive or negative
 Act as a catalyst for change
 People attach insights to their life experiences
 When people tell life stories they gain clarity about
who they are
 Stimulate personal growth
How does Authentic

Leadership theory work?
 Strengths
 Criticisms
 Application
How does AL theory work?

 AL is a complex, developmental process
 The practical approaches are prescriptive:
- Terry (1993)– What is truly good for the leader, follower and
organization?
- George (2003) – 5 characteristics leaders need to be authentic
 Theoretical approach describes what
accounts for AL:
- Four attributes
- Attributes developed over lifetime, often through critical events
Strengths
 Fulfills society’s expressed need for trustworthy
leadership. Fills a void in an uncertain world.
 Provides broad guidelines for those who want to
become authentic leaders. Both practical and
theoretical approaches provide a map.
 Like transformational and servant leadership, AL
has an explicit moral dimension.
 Unlike traits that only some people exhibit,
everyone can learn to be more authentic.
 Can be measured using an established instrument
(ALQ).
Criticisms
 The theory is still in the formative stages, so some
concepts in the practical approaches are not fully
developed or substantiated.
 The moral component of AL is not fully explained. It’s
unclear how higher values such as justice inform
authentic leadership.
 The rationale for including positive psychological
capacities as a part of AL has not been clearly explained
by researchers.
 The link between authentic leadership and positive
organizational outcomes is unclear. It is also not clear
whether AL is sufficient to achieve organizational goals.
Application
 People have the capacity to become authentic
leaders. It is a lifelong learning process.
 Human Resource departments may be able to
foster authentic leadership behaviors in
employees who move into leadership positions.
 Leaders are always trying to do the “right” thing,
to be honest with themselves and others, and to
work for the common good.
 Leaders are shaped by critical life events that
lead to growth and greater authenticity.

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Chapter 10 – Authentic Leadership

Northouse, 5th edition

Authentic Leadership Description

Authentic Leadership – focuses on

Authentic Leadership Defined

Authentic Leadership Defined

Authentic Leadership Defined

Practical Approaches to Authentic

Terry’s Authentic Action Wheel

Practical Approaches to Authentic

The Authentic Leader’s Characteristics

Theoretical Approaches to Authentic

 Recent research spurred by:

Definition of Authentic Leadership

Basic Model of Authentic Leadership

Factors that Influence Authentic

Factors that Influence Authentic

Critical Life Events

How does Authentic

How does AL theory work?

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