Ph.D., Communication/Relationship Coach, Etiquette Expert, Founder of the Academy of Social Competency.
getty
Over the past decades, there has been extensive research on effective leadership, aimed at creating a template for those who want to improve their own leadership skills. One popular strategy in building such a template is to explore the life and experience of very successful leaders and outline the qualities (behavioral, cognitive, motivational, etc.) that helped them stand out. These qualities include the ability to influence others, transparency, risk-taking, innovation, integrity, accountability, resilience and decisiveness.
However, the above qualities are not universal and should be considered recommended rather than obligatory. Many studies of successful leaders are examples of "survivorship bias," focusing on a visible subgroup of successful leaders while skipping those who did not "survive." This results in a misleading picture, which means that those who strive to shape their leadership skills based on these studies may get disappointing results.
Attempts to become someone else rather than carving out one's own personality may distance individuals from their own values, eventually causing them to lose their uniqueness. Achieving recognition and status that is incompatible with one's true personality may lead to emotional burnout, depression and loss of the sense of meaning. An alternative to copycatting the ideal portrait of a selected leader is authentic leadership, the term proposed by Harvard professor and former CEO of Medtronic Bill George.
What is authenticity?
The word "authenticity" comes from the Greek "authentikós" (original, primary, at first hand) and the Late Latin "authenticus" (coming from the author, genuine). This word is widely used in humanistic psychology. It refers to the quality of compliance with one's own values, talents, strengths and spirit, despite the pressure of external circumstances that attempt to force one to act contrary to oneself. Authenticity is multidimensional and incorporates individuality, congruence, self-awareness, freedom, self-actualization, self-worth and sincerity.
How can people become and remain authentic leaders?
As a communication and relationship coach, here are the concepts I think are key for cultivating your authenticity as a leader.
1. You already have everything you need.
We must start with the fact that every individual, regardless of circumstances and place of birth, has the ability to be and remain authentic, or in other words, possesses the tendency to self-actualize. According to psychologist Carl Rogers (one of the founders of the humanistic approach in psychology), every person can achieve the highest level of "human-beingness." We are here to realize our uniqueness without imitating anyone else—which brings up the importance of taking responsibility for being truly ourselves.
2. Nobody owes you anything.
The responsibility for oneself comes with age and is transferred from parents or parental figures. While maturing, a person gradually gets liberated from the opinions of these figures and seeks or needs less approval and encouragement for self-realization. According to Erich Fromm (social psychologist, psychoanalyst and humanistic philosopher) in his book Escape from Freedom, maturity comes when the person begins to set their own standards and not only makes autonomous decisions but also realizes their implications. Reality can satisfy a person only if founded on their own decisions and needs.
3. Your big journey begins with small steps.
Satisfying one's own needs is a fundamental pattern in human development, which can be viewed as climbing a ladder. A person's basic needs and social dependence are at the bottom of this ladder, while the need for self-actualization (authenticity) is at the top. Abraham Maslow (psychologist and one of the leading architects of humanistic psychology, who developed a hierarchy of needs) believed that to achieve this ultimate goal, a number of more basic needs must first be met. These desires can be realized through object-oriented activity (see below).
4. The more active you are, the more chances you have.
A need is usually experienced as discomfort and tension and manifests in an active search for an object that can satisfy the need. Our activity becomes directed from the moment of "meeting" with the object. According to Aleksei Leontiev (developmental psychologist, philosopher and a founder of activity theory), in such activity, the authentic qualities, predispositions and inclinations inherent to a person begin to unfold and self-realization occurs. Thus, the activity increases both authenticity and personal meaning.
5. Once you know your 'whys,' you can go even further.
All our activity results in a particular outcome. Understanding what kind of outcome we want to achieve affects the choices we make around action or inaction. According to Victor Frankl (psychiatrist and founder of a humanistic-existential therapeutic approach called logotherapy), "Man's search for meaning is the primary motivation in his life," which contributes to each person's uniqueness. The person who has found and embodied the meaning of their life experiences wholeness and genuineness—or in other words, becomes authentic and self-realized.
Conclusion
To summarize my humanistic vision of authentic leadership, I would distinguish five conditions: It is 1) an innate ability to be a leader of one's own life that 2) unfolds through liberation from other people's attitudes and personal growth and 3) goes beyond satisfying our basic needs 4) through vigorous activity 5) guided by a unique meaning.
At first glance, it may sound complicated. However, it is achievable compared to pretending to be someone else—especially since, to quote Oscar Wilde, "everyone else is already taken."
Forbes Coaches Council is an invitation-only community for leading business and career coaches. Do I qualify?
