Nov 7, 2017
I'm back for another season. This time I will be podcasting
"freestyle" using an article as inspiration. In today's episode I
talk about what "authentic leadership" means to me and why I'm not
that sure about the term...
To get in touch, go to www.managementcafepodcast.com
or www.virtualnotdistant.com
Today’s episode has been inspired by this article. You might
want to read it before listening.
The
Truth About Authentic Leaders by Bill George,
author of “Authentic
Leadership”
What did you think? What did you take from it? What are your
questions/observations/reservations/agreements?
Here is what I took from it and the thoughts this article sparked
in me
1) What is “authentic leadership”?
Not pretending we’re someone we’re not.
Not pretending we know everything.
Let our personality and values through (not necessarily our personal life)
Make unpopular decisions that aligh with our values – tricky for middle management
It’s a great alternative to “heroic leadership” where you are seen as having to pull the cart.
I would say we need flexibility, self-awareness and a degree of vulnerability.
Example from Originals, loc 3152
2) The “bringing your whole self to work”
dilemma.
Flexibility is key – and after all, we bring different parts of
ourselves to different situations and different relationships.
Low self-monitors; High self-monitors
“Authentic leaders are sensitive to the impact their words and
actions have on others, not because they are “messaging” the right
talking points.
“They don’t hide behind flaws, instead they seek to understand
them.”
It’s not about being rigid, but in being honest about who you
are.
“One of the hardest things for leaders to do is to understand how
other people see them, which is often quite different than how they
want to be seen.”
“Adapt the style without compromising character.”
Go back to the point on vulnerability – another article, this time
from Inc.
Jack Ma made a Fool of Himself Last Week. Smart Move. Inc sept21st
2017
https://www.inc.com/jack-ma-made-a-fool-of-himself-last-week.html
About being approachable and human – core of authentic
leadership
However, needs to be backed by actions and reputation
elsewhere.
(3) We always associate being “authentic” with
“good”.
This means, if we want a culture of authenticity, need to look out
for values when we recruit, especially when we recruit people in
positions of authority.
For Your Reflection
In the office, we can be ourselves, but what happens in the remote space? (or flexible)
Need to be more deliberate. Our communication; make room for
synchronous discussions; explain your decisions; ask questions to
understand others before you try to understand actions through your
own values
What parts of me would be more useful to bring to work? (To my
communication, to my interactions, to my decisions?)
How much is my own behaviour encourating or deterring people from bringing their “whole selves” to work?
How can we constantly remind ourselves that we are human?
Because that’s really at the core of authentic leadership, not super heroes, but humans.