When we evaluate the definition of authentic leadership we can see that followers trust leaders who are true to their ideals and principles. These leaders behave with high standards of moral and ethical code. Today, Leadership is spoken of in so many terms that we lose the essence of what a good leader is in all areas of life and professionalism. So, authentic leadership is one that begins with oneself. Therefore, it is necessary to develop your own style of leadership which will lead you to be an authentic, that is, different from the others.
Studies have shown that people feel distrustful and insecure about what is going on around them and, as a result, they want to trust in genuine, honest and good leadership (Northouse, 2013). As a result, people demand reliable leadership which means that authentic leadership is timely and valuable to a society that has continued to evolve at an accelerated pace.
People are asking leaders to soften the limits around their leadership role and to be more transparent. People want to have a relationship of trust with their leaders. In return, people are willing to give leaders greater loyalty and commitment. Hence, the relationship between the leader and the followers is marked by a commitment of high quality in which leaders and followers demonstrate a high degree of mutual trust, respect and mutual obligation. This translates into a strong relationship between leader and follower, detailed understanding, and increased productivity.
Authentic leadership develops in people throughout their lives. Therefore, Northouse (2013) demonstrated four basic characteristics that have an authentic leadership:
- Self-awareness: Refers to the leader’s personal perception. It is not an end but a process in which people understand themselves, which includes their strengths and weaknesses, and the impact they have on others. In addition, the person reflects on the values, identity, emotions, motives and objectives of their surroundings, and understanding who really is at the deepest level.
- Moral Perspective: Refers to a process of self-regulation by which individuals use their values and internal moral standards to guide their behavior instead of allowing external pressure to control them.
- Balanced processing: It refers to a self-regulating behavior. Which is the ability of an individual to analyze information objectively and explore the opinion of people before making a decision. It also means avoiding favoritism on certain issues and remaining impartial.
- Relational transparency: Refers to being sincere and honest in presenting your true self to others. Inaddition, it shares its fundamental values, motives and inclusion with othersin an appropriate manner. Transparency is about communicating openly andinteracting with others.
After evaluating these four basic characteristics of an authentic leader we can say that the person has self-confidence, is honest, inspires confidence, gives hope, is optimistic and is a resilient (rises before the adversities of life or experiences with more force).What causes the authentic leader in his followers? Followers identify with them, feel empowered, participate in work roles and demonstrate behaviors that are identified as part of the organization.
When we speak of an authentic leader, he/she is a person who is unique, has a passion for what he/she does, who motivates others, is humble, makes known his/her experiences, knows his/her strengths and limitations, and learns from his/her experiences. Moreover, the authentic leader is a person who establishes positive relationships for it, people are open to receive and give feedback since he/she is an honest and constructive person. The authentic leader is a person with an open mind to listen and be objective. Followers are not motivated to follow orders but intuitively follow the example of their leaders as they have shown that they care about their needs.
Do you consider yourself an authentic leader or do your organizations have authentic leaders? It is time to reflect, it is never too late to improve what we already are as leaders. It is from an authentic leader to recognize his/her faults, and once you recognize where you have failed then it is time to be a resilient. What are you waiting to be an authentic leader? Do you want followers who follow you not because of orders or instructions, but because of what you have shown or done for them? When an organization wants changes and maintain itself in a competitive market, it depends a lot on the leadership it has in its organizational structure. It’s never too late to restructure your leadership style, just require yourself and have good “coaches” by your side.
Reference: Northouse, P. G.(2013): Leadership Theory and Practice(6th ed.). Thousand Oak, CA: Sage
Dear Friend, the next Leadership blog (Part 7 of 7) is the final part of this topic, Leadership. Hence, I can not stop talking about leadership without talking about Women and Leadership, so stay tuned for the next blog.
Prayer: Open your heart
Lord Jesus, forgive me if I have failed you. Forgive me if under the leadership that I have, I have not fulfilled my role of authentic leader. Today, I want to be a different leader, a different person for my family and organization. Help me to be humble, be transparent and always be willing to listen to others and their way of thinking. Give me the divine wisdom to continue with the mission of being useful to society, my family, and my organization. I ask you in your name Jesus. Amen.
A Friendly Advice
Dear friend, today is a new day to start over. It’s time to reflect on what kind of leadership you have. We have talked about various types of leadership through 6 parts under the theme of Leadership. I recommend the following:
1. If you have not had the time to read the other blogs about leadership styles, I recommend that you go to the first part of this blog Leadership (Part 1 of 7).
2. I recommend that you do a survey in your organization about leadership to see where you can improve. Followers or employees are the best sources. Sometimes organizations conduct surveys as “Best Employers” but, they do not give importance to the opinions of their employees or the reason why they have not become part of Forbes or other recognitions.
3. The money of your organizations are important, but without motivated employees the organization will fall into decline road or from hand to hand and will continue to fail, why? Because your leaders have not taken their leadership role to another level.
4. In this 21st century, commercialization and technology are very competitive. Search or read why other companies are successful, it is not the culture, it is not the product, it is not the client; the keys are that they have happy and motivated employees, effective and assertive communication, and the followers feel part of the organization. It is never too late to evaluate leadership styles in your life or organization.
5. Learn to listen to your followers, be objective, not have favoritism, and cover their basic needs are basic keys to start being a leader that will take you and the organization to another level.
6. It is time to start developing your leadership style.
7. It is time to evaluate who are your innate leaders within your work team and develop them to the maximum power. And you will see, what great help will be for the organization.