Ever since certain pop psychology books have started covering business issues, the topic of leadership has known its share of pat answers, many of them defining a leader as a super-being, combining a host of qualities unlikely to be found in a single person. More realistically, we define leadership qualities as those leading a work team to use and develop its intelligence, by compensating for its shortcomings with the qualities of its members, and vice versa.
In this vein, “authentic leadership” has been of interest to the scientific community for several years now, with research oriented on the development of questionnaires, definitions and observations. There are several types of bad leaders, i.e. incompetent, rigid, intemperate, callous, corrupt, insular and evil ones (“Bad Leadership,” 2004, N. Kellerman).
An approach, more than a quality
Prominent researchers B.J. Avolio and W.L. Gardner have developed a questionnaire for measuring the qualities that they define as authentic leadership. Four aspects are addressed:
1) Self-awareness: To what degree is the leader aware of his or her strengths, limitations, how others see him or her and how the leader impacts others? It is based on in-depth and thorough self-knowledge.
2) Transparency: To what degree does the leader reinforce a level of openness with others that provides them with an opportunity to be forthcoming with their ideas, challenges and opinions?
3) Ethical/moral: To what degree does the leader set a high standard for moral and ethical conduct?
4) Balanced processing: To what degree does the leader solicit sufficient opinions and viewpoints prior to making important decisions?
Here are some examples of statements used to rate leadership: “The leader demonstrates beliefs that are consistent with actions,” or “The leader seeks feedback to improve interactions with others.”* The outcome of these scientific studies: authentic leadership is above all an approach, or a process, instead of a trait that one either has or doesn’t.
Continuous development
In his book “Authentic Leadership,” Bill George identifies five dimensions of authentic leadership:
- Understanding your purpose
- Practicing solid values
- Leading “with heart”
- Establishing enduring relationships
- Demonstrating self-discipline
George specifies that acquiring these five dimensions of authentic leadership is not a sequential process, but instead refers to continuous development throughout a leader’s life.
Authentic leaders, authentic lives
According to Bill George, an authentic life leads to authentic leadership. He clearly prefers for leaders to work 50 hours a week and to balance their work with their own needs and those of their family, rather than work 80 hours a week and have time for nothing but their business. Using a variety of examples, he shows that balanced leaders generally develop healthier companies. Because they are able to delegate, they take well-thought-out decisions and lead more effectively. Their employees are more involved, and thereby achieve better results.
Being “authentic” is an approach mirrored in all aspects of one’s life. Instead of compartmentalizing roles (work, family, social and spiritual life), it is better to break down the barriers and be the same person at work, at home, and in our social and spiritual lives. This striving for authenticity can take years, but helps leaders create a model for self-acceptance and transparency to serve as a source of inspiration and motivation for their subordinates.
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References:
Avolio, B.J., & Luthans, F. (2006). High impact leader: Moments matter in authentic leadership development. NY: McGraw-Hill.
Avolio, B.J. (2005). Leadership development in balance: Made/Born. NJ: Erlbaum & Associates.
Gardner, W.L., Avolio, B.J., & Walumbwa, F. (2006). Authentic leadership theory and practice: Origins, effects and development. Amsterdam: Elsevier JAI Press.
George, B. (2003). Authentic Leadership. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Kellerman, B. (2004). Bad Leadership. Boston: Harvard Business School Press.
* 2007 Authentic Leadership Questionnaire (ALQ) by Bruce J. Avolio, William L. Gardner, & Fred O. Walumbwa.