To be “authentic” one must be original, the same goes for authentic leadership. There are three ways to define authentic leadership: interpersonal, intrapersonal, and developmental (PSU WC, 2013, L.12, p. 3). Interpersonal authentic leadership uses the relationship between the leader’s actions and the follower’s response to those actions. It is the strength of their relationship. Intrapersonal authentic leadership focuses on what is going on inside the leader’s head. This accounts for a leader’s self-knowledge, behavior, and self-identity. The leader in this definition is being “who they are” and not acting like someone else for approval (PSU WC, 2013, L.12, p. 3). Developmental authentic leadership says that this leadership can be learned and changed through experiences (Northouse, 2013, p.254).
An authentic character is Marshall Eriksen from “How I met Your Mother” (Fryman, 2005-2013). He is well known for his kindness and compassion not only about his friends and family, but also his job. As a career, Eriksen always wanted to become a lawyer for environmental protection laws. He left his corporate law firm to make a difference with environmental law. The reason Eriksen is a great example of “authentic leadership” is because his leadership stems from being and the person that he is and wants to be. He can best be described as intrapersonal authentic leadership as he focuses on what is going on inside his head, and bases what he does on his knowledge and values.
When Eriksen shows leadership on the show, he is always being “true to himself”(PSU WC, 2013, L.12, p. 3). He does not work to please others. He even let’s down job offers when they interfere with his personal values. People feel they can trust him because they know what to expect, and that his personality and self-identity will not change easily. He switched from his high paying “corporate” lawyer job to a low paying job lawyer for environmental protection laws. The corporate firm gave him no sense of purpose and clashed with his identity. His new environmental lawyer job parallels to his values and he is now convinced he is working for the common good (Northouse, 2013, p.270).
References
Fryman, P. (Director) (2005-2013). How I Met Your Mother. CBS Retrieved from
http://www.cbs.com/shows/how_i_met_your_mother/
Northouse, P. G. (2013). Leadership: Theory and Practice (6th ed.). Thousand Oaks,
CA: Sage Publications.
Penn State World Campus (2013). PSYCH 485 Lesson 12: Authentic Leadership.
Retrieved on June 20, 2013, from https://courses.worldcampus.psu.edu/su13/
psych485/001/content/12_lesson/01_page.html
Kellie,
Great example of using a television character to explain authentic leadership! HIMYM is one of my favorite television shows. I agree with you that Marshall Eriksen embodies intrapersonal authentic leadership. He wasn’t been true to himself when he was working in the corporate world. The sacrifices that he made in the beginning were to support his family. The character that Jason Segel plays is quite relatable. When a job does not provide you with a sense of purpose and creates an imbalance between what you are doing and what you want to do- this can lead to a turning point in your career. Staying true to you is essential, especially for personal growth and success. Kruse (2013) “Authentic leaders lead with their heart, not just their mind” (para. 6). Authentic leaders have a strong ability to connect with their followers, which is amplified by their genuine concern with their followers’ well being.
References
Kruse, K. (2013). What Is Authentic Leadership?. Retrieved on June 15, 2013 from http://www.forbes.com/sites/kevinkruse/2013/05/12/what-is-authentic-leadership/.