Authentic Leadership
Remember, authenticity is a journey, and no one can tell you where it should lead you. For some of you, being authentic might be the most courageous thing you have ever done. Patricia Faison Hewlin, Ph.D.
Conversations about authenticity are abundant in recent years, yet most of us struggle to understand and implement it in all segments of our lives. Being authentic in the workplace while developing our leadership potential and surmounting the barriers that women in leadership face can be a daunting task. Authenticity was included as one of the eight core principles of women’s leadership developed by Martha Mertz decades ago in 1982 and it has been honored at ATHENA since that time. Being “real” is a characteristic we all appreciate and respect when we encounter it in ourselves and others. It helps us to trust, connect and relate.
Bill George, the former CEO of Medtronic, published Authentic Leadership in 2003, in which he detailed a new model for leadership that has been widely discussed, and which creates a framework for organizations. The key attributes of authentic leadership are, according to George, purpose, values, heart, relationships and self-discipline. George’s essential premise was that leaders who are authentic and values based, rather than financially driven, will create more success for their organizations. Since then, countless programs, books and trainings have been created to help organizations to honor authenticity.
Now is an optimal time to explore your own authentic values, but what does that entail? We are all humans first, leaders second, and bringing your own human values and qualities to your organization, rather than following a preconceived notion of leadership or fitting into a framework that has been created historically, is what will ultimately create trust as well as enhancing your happiness and success. To begin, try to identify your core values so that you can be mindful when the next action step or decision arises. Taproot.com is one of many resources with a helpful core values exercise. (Link). Putting your values into action is the next step. Let’s imagine that one of your core values (like mine) is honesty but your company regularly misrepresents itself in its advertising and you are the newly appointed advertising manager. How can you use your new role to authentically lead in alignment with your individual values and attributes? (If you google “Authentic marketing” you will find that this field is growing rapidly). Your coworkers have their own core values and sharing your values will create a stronger team.
As author and educator Patricia Faison Hewlin, PhD, writes in her article for Berkeley, “authenticity is not really about exuding everything and baring your soul all the time. It’s about identifying what’s important to you and determining how much you can integrate those values into your work life or other areas, so that you can experience life satisfaction, feel engaged, and make a positive contribution to work and society…The challenge of organizations today is how to manage a workplace that encourages authenticity. As a leader, what do you do when everyone is bringing in diverse perspectives? You have to manage those perspectives in a way that still allows the organization to be efficient and thrive. More than ever, it’s going to require courage.” (Greatergood.berkeley.edu.)
The challenges of embracing authenticity in the workplace are not unique to a particular generation, although it seems that Millennial and Gen Z coworkers are accustomed to understanding individual differences and when they emerge as leaders this experience guides them. When you grew up in the era of having your Starbucks beverage customized, it’s easier to understand the need for individuality. Millennials popularized the expression “you do you” and Gen Z hopes that we are “woke” to the need for employee well-being. The next generation of leaders is already making a profound impact on how we work.
As we look to find our authentic voices, seeking role models who are effective and authentic leaders will light our paths. Jacinda Ardern, the well-recognized Prime Minister of New Zealand, has proven to be a highly successful leader who is endearingly authentic, bold and persuasive. She is extremely grounded in her values and does not rely on polls to help her to define her positions. She takes swift action when needed and manages to do so in a way that creates unity rather than divisiveness. During the pandemic she enacted one of the most stringent lockdowns, undoubtedly facing significant backlash. Ardern was New Zealand's first pregnant prime minister in office and only the second elected head of government to give birth while in office (Benazir Bhutto of India was the first in 1990). In one of her press conferences, she stated bluntly “I might be at the odd press conference with a little bit of spill on me because I'm not going to hide the imperfections of parenting. I don't think anyone needs that.” And that, dear readers, is the messy beauty of authenticity.
Karen J. Laufer
ATHENA contributor