The 3 core components of Authentic Leadership are: Interpersonal, authentic, strong relationships between leader and follower, Intrapersonal, the leaders self-regulation and Developmental, experiencing a dramatic event that brings forth the authentic leadership (PSU WC, L.12, 2017).
I subscribe to the idea that both the Interpersonal and Intrapersonal components of Authentic Leadership are key to actually being an authentic leader. The Intrapersonal component ties into emotional intelligence and the ability for the leader to manage his or her emotions and feelings especially as it relates to followers. It is important for followers to have a feeling that the leader has self-control as it is hard to imagine someone who cannot control their own emotions having control over a company situation. The Interpersonal component is also self explanatory, relationships are crucial to impacting people and influencing followers. Without interpersonal skills leadership is not as effective.
The assertion of the Developmental component, that Authentic Leadership can be acquired seems a bit further off, however, I can see how moments of emotional intensity can bring about Authentic Leadership qualities in a person after learning about George’s Authentic Leadership Approach. The Authentic Leadership Approach connects characteristics or behaviors and dimensions or traits (Northouse, 2016). The dimensions are: Purpose, Values, Relationships, Self-Discipline and Heart (PSU WC, L.12, 2017). The idea is that if one of these dimensions is absent or broken, it can be developed or worked on to bring the leader back into being an authentic leader (PSU WC, L.12, 2017).
As we are all human, it is expected that we will falter at some point and the fact that Authentic Leadership can be viewed as developmental is promising to those who aspire to reach this level of leadership.
References:
The Pennsylvania State University World Campus. (2017). Lesson 12: Authentic Leadership. Retrieved from https://psu.instructure.com/courses/1848444/modules/items/22449244
Northouse, P.G. (2016). Leadership: Theory and Practice. Los Angeles: Sage Publications.
Joshua John Bustos says
Hello cxg374,
I enjoyed your post. I favor authentic leadership as well. I must be honest, at first I wasn’t sure because I already had these preconceived notions of how I thought people viewed authentic leadership. It’s understandable that many believe that to be authentic is an innate characteristic of someone’s personality and so if you did not have this naturally, you could not completely be labeled as an authentic leader. However, after reading our lesson and our book, like any business proficiency, the ability to lead authentically is set of skills that could be learned or nurtured, especially if you were good at some aspects and bad at others (Northouse, 2016). What I found interesting is that Northouse cites Avilio and his associates as he goes on to define authentic leadership from a developmental perspective. In this piece he goes on to say that authentic leadership develops in people over a lifetime and can be triggered by major life events such as a severe illness or a new career (Northouse, 2016). To me its like something out of a movie where the person always had some kind of special super power but it wasn’t reveled until he or she was stressed to the point where the body had to react to protect itself and this force of nature came out. I realize this a bit excitable but I think you can catch my drift. This theory or viewpoint really interested me. I think authenticity is usually one the first or most important traits of an effective leader but many of us fail to understand what it means to lead authentically. I know one thing, I know it doesn’t mean you are ridged in your leadership. On the contrary, authentic leadership means that you adapt your style to your environment while staying true to yourself.
Northouse, P. (2016). Leadership Theory and Practice (Seventh Edition). Los Angeles: Sage Publications Inc.
Avolio, B.J., Walumbwa, F.O., & Weber, T.J. (2009). Leadership: Current theories, research and future directions. Annual Review of Psychology, 60, 421-449
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