It should go without saying that organizations are more effective when they are led by leaders who are able to carry out their vision with sounds moral decisions that build trust from those they are appointed to lead. Authentic leadership is a concept that is able to build that style of leadership within leaders that can capture the confidence and trust of the followers within an organization. According to Northouse (2016), Authentic leadership can either be focused on what is happening within the leader (interpersonal), the relationships between leaders and followers (intrapersonal), or a process that can be developed over time (developmental) (p. 196). Regardless of the process for which authentic leadership is developed or carried it, we are at a time where this style of leadership is desperately needed within the workforce for organizational success.
This style of leadership is so successful in a work center because it centers around leaders who are focused on their purpose and have true passion for what they are charged with fulfilling for the organization. Too often, the workforce becomes saturated with managers who are just in the position to gain a paycheck or move on to the next position. Rarely do we find leaders that are truly passionate about their mission and focused on bringing every member of the team up along with them to complete that mission. According to the text (2016), Bill George developed a practical approach to this concept which centered around five basic characteristics; they understand their purpose, they have strong values about integrity, they value trusting relationships with those around them, they believe in self-discipline and acting on their values, and they lead from their heart with a passion for the mission (Northouse, p. 197). The most successful organizations that I have been a part of had had leaders that value these characteristics and place a major emphasis on the relationships that they foster within and outside of their work centers.
As authentic leadership was a relatively underdeveloped theory, Walumbwa and associates (2008) developed a theoretical approach which identified four major components to measure this construct: self-awareness, internalized moral perspective, balanced processing, and relational transparency (Northouse, 2016, p. 202). Additionally, there are four key positive psychological attributes which have an impact on authentic leadership: confidence, hope, optimism, and resilience. Whether using the practical approach or the theoretical perspective, both processes explain the concept from a learned approach, or something the leader can develop over time. Therefore, while some managers may not be able to apply the concepts from the start of being hired into those positions, other mentors and leaders within the organization may be able to teach them how to apply the concepts from authentic leadership. This enables leaders to be able to garner trust from their followers and will ultimately lead to a much more successful mission accomplishment.
One of the more successful organizations I worked in had a primary leader who lived by these concepts. He was the walking definition of an authentic leader in the work force and was sought out around our base as a mentor for others to learn from as he developed these abilities for future leaders. He exuded confidence in his abilities as the leader of our organization and inspired hope for the followers that he was charged with leading. His daily optimism built a sense of resiliency for our coworkers as we knew he always had our best interest in mind and therefore built a much more productive work center. The daily positivity was such a drastic change from what most people were used to and created the most enjoyable work climate you could hope to be a part of. This led to awards at the highest level possible being obtained by myself and many of our co-workers as he used his authentic leadership to bring up everyone around him as he simultaneously ensured our mission was our number one focus. His passion for leadership was apparent day in and day out and we knew that his moral compass was always true, which equally built confidence from both ourselves as well as the leaders over us. This allowed for autonomy within our focused work group, as the leaders over us trusted in our abilities and passion for ensuring the mission was completed to the best of our abilities was apparent.
Authentic leaders aren’t as common in the workplace as we would hope they would be, but once they enter a work center their presence is immediately felt by both increasing in work environment and productivity. This is what creates such a demand for these types of leaders in the work force, as once they are there, it is apparent that they focus on developing these abilities in others in the process of carrying out the mission.
References
Northouse, P. G. (2016). Leadership: Theory in practice (7th ed.). Los Angeles, CA: SAGE.