Authenticity as a leader is rooted in a person’s altruistic disposition. To act from a place of service to others is essential to the role of a leader in motivating his/her followers. A leader must be humble enough to place the goal of the collective above all else and to recognize their role in motivating others towards that goal. To truly act with authenticity as a leader then becomes characterized by this shared leadership and sense of community. An authentic leader doesn’t act independently but rather as a team. By contrast, credibility as a leader is determined by the sentiment of their following. A leader can establish credibility by acting with authenticity in their role. When people observe a leader acting with their best interests …show more content…
The authenticity of a leader acting from a place of passion cannot be questioned. With the prioritization of a group’s objective over one’s own selfish needs, a person can make decisions that in turn benefit the majority. This sense of service is something effective leaders have been able to master and a trait people easily observe. The need to serve others in this way cannot be forced and must come from genuine compassion for others. The authenticity of a leader and their purpose is transparent to the followers and can be what determines their belief in that leader. This authenticity shouldn’t be a struggle for a leader to adhere to if they are acting with a genuine intent to better the …show more content…
When a person is working in a team effectively, they are exhibiting both authenticity and credibility without thinking about it. The team atmosphere facilitates the creation of leadership and in doing so, becomes a catalyst for leadership development. Through working with others in a team, leadership is shared and the collective’s objective is brought to fruition. A team that is able to accomplish its goal has already learned the valuable lesson of authenticity and credibility. These concepts can then be applied to your day to day life and be used to effectively communicate with people regardless of the situation. The ability to establish credibility as a person will benefit anyone wishing to progress towards a goal, whether it be campaigning for president or getting a job. The credible leader is trusted in his/her competence because they have previously demonstrated it. The authentic leader will be one that is successful in his/her pursuits. The ability to lead with authenticity implies that one has realized their passion and begun to actualize it into
Authentic leaders are honest, ethical and practical. An authentic leader develops their own leadership style, but this leadership style should not be overly tough. An authentic leadership style is one that can adapt to different situations and circumstances (Magloff). Coach Saban has five core values that he preaches every chance he
Leadership is a quality which cannot be acquired by any person from the other but it can be acquired by self-determination of a person. Leadership can best be called the personality of the very highest ability-whether in ruling, thinking, imagining, innovation, warring, or religious influencing. Leadership is practiced not so much in words a it is in attitude and in actions. Their actions leave a long lasting memory in the line of history and lead up to may events that occur today. To be a leader one will need many qualities. Leaders have a purpose and strategies to accomplish that purpose. They are driven and motivated. In the end they should be able to attain good results. These innate talents help to make up a leader that will succeed and be efficient in carrying out tasks. But, the purpose of this paper is determine what truly makes a leader successful. A successful leader should be considered more on their impact rather than their accomplishments of their organizations alone for they are not sufficient in determining the key to their success .
They have profound convictions for for their leadership; Their behavior always reflect their core values and they view themselves as individuals that “lead with their hearts as well as their heads while also building enduring organizations” (George 2003). Leaders are encouraged to maintain the perception of authenticity but making sure that their words are consistent and reflect their action or intentions. They should not be so pompous and arrogant that they cannot relate to or find mutual and common ground with their staff. (Goffee & Jones 2005)
Up until this point, much of the focus has been centered on defining effective leadership from characteristics and traits that have been identified through research and behavioral science, but what do the followers have to say about the leader’s characteristics and traits? Furthermore, what makes someone want to follow a leader? Thus, there are five specific traits or characteristics a leader must display before being followed, and the first characteristic or trait is honesty (Shead, 2016). While people desire to follow an honest leader, honesty is the key trait that allows the leader to influence others besides power; however, leaders have very few opportunities to demonstrate honesty, especially in large organizations (Shead, 2016). Therefore,
In an effort to understand the questionnaire, one must first understand the definition of an Authentic Leader. Genuine, trustworthy and reliable are a few words that are interchangeable with the term authentic. Authentic leaders exhibit qualities of confidence, transparency, and high moral standard and are usually very confident (Gardner, Avolio, Luthans, May and Walumbwa, 2005). A person that is considered to be authentic is one who taking account for their behavior and a person who is true to themselves and what they think. A quality of an authentic leader is that he/she exudes the level of authenticity through their actions that encourage others to want to behave the same way. The leader who acts in this manner believes that all individuals have something to contribute to a goal and
According to Hackman and Johnson “influence, which rests almost solely upon one’s credibility, is a fundamental and critical aspect of any individual’s leadership ability” (2013 p.166). This has led the duo to conclude that “credibility is the very foundation of leadership” (2013 p.167). In their work Leadership: A Communication Perspective, the two break credibility down into three separate dimensions, which when possessed together, impart a natural validity within an individual, and directly elevates one’s capacity to lead. Ironically, however, occasionally leaders will arise, who through their expert manipulation of power, are able to bypass deficiencies in any or all three dimensions of credibility, while still serving in a leadership role. Hillary Clinton, currently the favorite to become president of the United States in less than a week, serves to illustrate this discontinuity perfectly.
In order for a leader to be a leader, he/she must begin with the assumption that you are the one who matters most. As a leader you have to possess that level of confidence in yourself that you are capable of leading yourself “before you can lead others”. And when you develop this belief then you are better able to affirmatively influence “on others”. A leader needs to “believe” in himself and have the confidence that whatever you say will excite and what you do can motivate others. You must be optimistic about what you do, to have some relevance to being in existence.
To become an authentic leader means to bring “people together around a shared purpose and empowers them to step up and lead authentically in order to create values for all stakeholders,” (xxxi). Bill George has identified the following five dimensions every authentic leader should encompass:
The author called out for servant leadership for long-term success for all stakeholders. Similar to other professions leader needs to hone their abilities to be effective in their leadership role. To find a purpose in what you achieve besides money, power, and fame resonates with the True North. A leader should act in the best interests of the organization that would lead to a greater good. To have a balance between IQ and EQ will lead to leadership with the True North. Passion, compassion, empathy, and courage matters the heart decisions are important components of the True North. To develop as a worthy human being, a leader must become self aware, integrated human being, and comfortable being his/herself. In addition a leader with the True North moves from I to we, is humble, serve customers, empower people, and align personal values with organization’s mission. A leader with True North demonstrates a high degree of integrity and walks his/her talk. A leader with a True North is an integrated leader with fine balance between personal, family, work, and community life. On a similar note, a leader with True North aligns and nourishes their mind, body, and soul.
The main premise of the article “Discovering Your Authentic Leadership” by Bill George et al., is that leadership is not measured or defined by one standard method or style. Instead, leadership should be authentic and be comprised upon the individual’s original and unprecedented approach. Authentic leadership is characterized by a passion for purpose, uniform/consistent values and harmony between the heart (sensibility) and the mind (logic). Moreover, authentic leaders are self-actualized individuals who are aware of their strengths, their limitations, and their emotions. These types of leaders are trustworthy and genuine and are not afraid to be vulnerable in front of their followers.
When leaders do the opposite of what they claim, it creates mistrust within the organization. To earn trust from the organization, it is important to set an example and model the way (Kouzes & Posner). People tend to words and then observe actions (Kouzes & Posner, 2012). In a leadership position it is important to commit to those promises. When promises are met, members are likely to be more motivated and appreciate the organization (Kouzes & Posner,
Effective communication encompasses many concepts. For a leader to be effective, one must be able to build relationships between different parties. In order to build a good rapport, one must be able to recognize the strengths and weaknesses of those involved, and within oneself. Acknowledging these differences will allow for a better collaboration between team members. A leader must also have the ability to put conflict resolution theories into practice. Allowing differing points of view may challenge the original idea and will make for a more thorough decision making process. Although this may seem counterproductive, it actually ensures the best possible outcome. One must be consistent in the message presented yet be flexible, approachable and maintain a positive attitude. Allowing for different perspectives to be heard will allow team members to feel valued. This flexibility helps to solidify the concept that everyone is in this together; thus establishing an environment where all team members can have a buy-in. Encouraging team members to voice opinions and give feedback produces an atmosphere of constructive give-and-take; a real t...
Credibility is an important characteristic to have. How credible you are means how trustworthy and reliable you are. I think my athletic trainer is credible. He is good at what he does and always knows how to help anyone who is injured so I trust he knows what he is doing. If he never knew what to do and could not help you he would not be a very credible athletic trainer. This shows that your actions can affect your credibility. I think Michael Phelps is a credible person when it comes to swimming. He was very successful though his credibility took a hit when he was pictured holding a marijuana pipe (Crouse).
Leadership is trait that is extremely important in any society. Leadership is known as the way people attempting to make a difference in a situation. However, I believe that it is better said to be a way of influencing others actions. Leadership is usually connected to a great leader that affected his or her followers in a dynamic way. Throughout the semester for my leadership class, I have expanded the knowledge in numerous ways. I now have fully understanding of the purpose and process of leadership to a society. Being a leader one must maintain an image of being the role model. I believe that this is leader should be who is someone who has the ability to influence, encourage, listen, and nurture. They are able to inspire, stimulate, persuade, shape, and have an effect on others.
Consistency in behaviour and attitude is an integral part of being a good leader, this also is necessary for building credibility from those who you are leading. To have credibility from your employees is the pathway to trust, and gaining the confidence of your team.