Authentic Leadership is a relatively new area of research which focuses on whether leadership is genuine. “As the title of this approach implies, authentic leadership is about the authenticity of leaders and their leadership” (Northouse, 2016). There are five characteristics of Authentic leadership based on Bill George’s Authentic Leadership Approach; purpose and passion, values and behavior, relationships and connectedness, self-discipline and consistency and heart and compassion. This approach concentrates on the various qualities leaders have or can eventually develop. Leaders who demonstrate authentic leadership characteristics are defined as more of an authentic leader which will allow their followers to respond in a good way that can benefit an organization.
The first characteristic is purpose and passion. Authentic leaders who lead with purpose know where they are going and what they are doing. In addition to knowing their purpose, authentic leaders are inspired and intrinsically motivated about their goals. They are passionate individuals who have a deep-seated interest in what they are doing and truly care about their work (Northouse, 2016).
The second characteristic of authentic leaders is values. Authentic leaders know their true north and have a clear path of who they are and can make the right decisions. The quality of value is also correlated to behavior. Authentic leaders do not compromise their values when situated in difficult situations. A good example of a leader with strong values is Nelson Mandela. Mandela was a deeply moral man with a strong conscience. While fighting to abolish apartheid in South Africa, he was unyielding in his pursuit of justice and equality for all (Northouse, 2016).
The third characteristic of authentic leadership is strong relationship and connectedness. Leaders who built relationships with others also have connectedness, especially with their followers. Authentic leaders have the capacity to open themselves up and establish a connection with others. They are willing to share their own story with others and listen to others’ stories (Northouse, 2016). A previous supervisor I had used to build relationships with their employees. Often, when there were changes that were happening within the department they were open to talk about them and also would talk about their personal life at times and most employees could relate. Because of this my previous supervisor connected with most of the employees and this allowed for most of use to get along with each other.
The forth characteristic is self-discipline. When leaders establish objectives and standards of excellence, self-discipline helps them to reach these goals and to keep everyone accountable (Northouse, 2016). The ability to focus and be committed to a goal when there are setbacks is called consistency. Leaders who can remain calm during high stress times are self-disciplined. My previous supervisor also showed self-discipline and consistency characteristics. When there would be something that would come up unexpectedly and was a rush my supervisor would always be cool about it, not to get everyone worked up. This helped us do what was needed to be done and kept us on track and moving forward.
The last characteristic is heart and compassion which are the two most important characteristics. Compassion refers to being sensitive to the plight of others, opening one’s self to others, and being willing to help them (Northouse, 2016). My supervisor previously would check in with each of use during stressful times to see how we were doing and if there was anything they could do to help. This showed that they were concerned about their employees and their well-being.
Northouse, P. G. (2016). Leadership: theory and practice. Los Angeles: SAGE Publications, Inc.