Authentic leadership is an approach to leadership that emphasizes building the leader's legitimacy through honest relationships with followers which value their input and are built on an ethical foundation. The authentic leader acts upon his or her values and beliefs, and inspires others to do the same, is committed to know and develop oneself. Are you committed to developing yourself; know your motivations and the purpose of your leadership? Read this article to know more about authentic leadership style and discovering your authentic self.
“A person cannot make hard decisions, hold unpopular positions, or stand tall for what he believes unless he knows who he is and feels comfortable in his own skin. I am talking about self-confidence and conviction. These traits make a leader bold and decisive, which is absolutely critical in times where you must act quickly, often without complete information. Just as important, authenticity makes a leader likable, for lack of a better word. Their realness comes across in the way they communicate and reach people on an emotional level. Their words move them; their message touches something inside. When I was at GE, we would occasionally encounter a very successful executive who just could not be promoted to the next level. In the early days, we would struggle with our reasoning. The person demonstrated the right values and made the numbers, but usually, his people did not connect with him. What was wrong? Finally, we figured out that these people always had certain phoniness about them. They pretended to be something they were not - more in control, more upbeat, more savvy than they really were. They didn’t sweat. They didn’t cry. They squirmed in their own skin, playing the role of their own inventing. A leader in times of crisis can’t have an iota of fakeness in him. He has to know himself - and like himself - so that he can be straight with the world, energize followers, and lead with the authority born of authenticity”. – Jack Welch in Winning
What is clear from the comment of Jack Welch produced above is that no one can be authentic by trying to imitate to be someone else. One can learn from others’ experiences, but can you be successful by just trying to be like them? Your followers will trust you only when you are genuine and authentic, not when they see you as an imitation, replica of someone else. Leadership has many voices and has many styles. Authentic leadership is all about being what you really are and not trying to emulate somebody else.
The authentic leader acts upon his or her values and beliefs and inspires others to do the same. He can stand tall for what he believes, he knows who he is and feels comfortable in his own skin. He can be straight with the world, energize followers, and lead with the authority born of authenticity. Authentic leaders avoid self-deception by fiercely examining their behaviors and decisions, genuinely asking for feedback on how to improve performance. They are committed to know and develop themselves.
1. Authentic leaders genuinely desire to serve others through their leadership
2. Authentic leaders are interested in empowering their followers
3. Authentic leaders are more interested in developing people and leading to make a difference
4. Authentic leaders lead with purpose, meaning, and values
5. Authentic leaders build strong relationships and networks of collaborative relationships
6. Authentic leaders are consistent, reliable, and strong
7. Authentic leaders are dedicated to personal growth and learning
8. Authentic leaders are aware of their strengths, limitations, the perceptions of others toward their leadership, and how they impact others
9. Authentic leaders are transparent, perceived as genuine and sincere
10. Authentic leaders set consistent and high standards for moral and ethical conduct
11. Authentic leaders ask for help, solicit opinions and viewpoints before making an important decision
12. Authentic leaders build credibility and win the respect and trust of followers
13. Authentic leaders act in accordance with deep personal values and convictions
True North: Discover Your Authentic Leadership by Bill George and Peter Sims (2007)
Authentic Leadership: Rediscovering the Secrets to Creating Lasting Value by Bill George
Authoritarian Leadership Style
Although generally considered as a traditional, outdated, and non-preferred style of leadership, the autocratic style still can be used effectively in certain situations. It is a leadership style characterized by individual absolute control over a group. If you work for an autocratic leader, your job is usually to do what you're told. Learn more about this style and situations where this could be an effective style to use and when to avoid this type of approach. Analyze the characteristics of this style to evaluate if your followers consider you an authoritarian leader!
Participative leadership is one of the most effective styles and creates higher productivity, better contributions from group members, and increased group morale. The democratic leadership style consists of the leader sharing the decision-making abilities with group members by promoting the interests of the group members. Learn more about this leadership style and situations when it is effective.
Bureaucratic leadership relies on a clear chain of command and strict regulations. Bureaucratic leadership style is a very decent style for work involving serious safety risks, such as handling toxic substances, moving large objects. The focus is on compliance with rules and laid down procedures to make sure that the group is doing their job correctly and safely. Learn some advantages and disadvantages of this style and situations in which this style could prove to be effective.
What are the functions which a leader does to establish as a leader? What are the activities undertaken by them to become great leaders, rather revolutionary leaders? The most important tasks done by a leader in all situations are defining the vision, mission, and goals, leading the team, administrative functions, motivating followers, decision making and conflict resolution, and continuous development.
Understanding of how individuals of different cultures interact with each other is very important. Not all individuals can adapt to the leadership styles expected in a different culture whether that culture is organizational or national. In a fast-paced business environment, developing a richer understanding and sensitivity to other cultures is a skill that leaders must possess. Learn to be effective in a cross-cultural setting.
Have you ever resonated that there seem to be as many different ways to lead people as there have been great leaders? When we recall the success of Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Abraham Lincoln, Napoleon Bonaparte to Steve Jobs and Jack Welch, we also notice that they all used different approaches that were suitable to their specific situations and circumstances. Over the last century, researchers and psychologists have developed simple ways to describe the “Styles of leadership” and in this section, we will explore these commonly known leadership styles.
Narcissistic leadership is a leadership style in which the leader is only interested in him. Narcissists are good for companies that need people with vision and the courage to take them in new directions. Such leaders sometime might be highly successful, but is it a style to be followed. Learn the various types of narcissistic leadership and the characteristics of such leaders.
Appreciative leaders encourage contributions from those around them and facilitate the discussion to mutually solve problems. Understand the concept of Appreciative Leadership and learn about tools to create and ask powerful questions - that lead to new discoveries and possibilities. Instead of focusing on what’s wrong in the workplace, learn about, and build upon what works. Learn in this article the art to apply appreciative inquiry to specific situations and challenges at your workplace.
“Level 5 Leadership”, this term was coined by Jim Collins in his book “Good to Great” and it is all about achieving "Greatness" as a leader. This article will explain what we mean by Level 5 Leadership and what the characteristics of a Level 5 leader are. What it takes to achieve greatness as a leader, and what are the steps and strategies that one can use to move up to this top level of leadership.
Narrative leadership is interpreted as the leader who aspires to construct leadership by telling stories. Leadership is a task of persuasion, of winning people’s minds and hearts. Storytelling is thus inherently suited for the task of leadership. Learn about the narrative leadership style and how to use this style to inspire and motivate followers or to manage change.
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