Authentic leadership is based on being personally authentic.
Being authentic means telling the truth about who you are and of course knowing who you are.
Authentic leadership. Does it contradict growth as a leader?
The argument for authentic leadership goes like this…
You have to know yourself well. Know your talents, your skills, your strengths, your weaknesses, and your blind spots. Know your values and motivations. Once you know these things about yourself then you can be truthful about who you are. Get these aligned with your vision and goals and you are on your way!
Along comes Harvard Business Review and Herminia Ibarra.
Well now, leave it to HBR to disrupt things again.
“Authenticity has become the gold standard for leadership. But a simplistic understanding of what it means can hinder your growth and limit your impact,” says Ibarra in her article, The Authenticity Paradox.
Ibarra describes two leaders who have gone through transitions to drive the point home that authentic leadership at first glance is not sophisticated enough.
WOW!
Okay. So what is good enough, if not authentic leadership?
Ibarra takes a stand that to grow as a leader you have to get out of your comfort zone. That means you will feel inauthentic for awhile until you get skilled at the new patterns.
“the moments that most challenge our sense of self are the ones
that can teach us the most about leading effectively.”
These are the moments that do not “feel” authentic. They are disruptive.
What works and what doesn’t work to achieve authenticity in leadership.
Utter transparency and baring your soul as a leader can become a credibility killer. People want to follow leaders who know, who are confident and have the greatest chance of success. According to Ibarra, being too ready to admit lack of knowledge skill and confidence put people directly on the wrong path. Who wants to follow a leader who doesn’t know how to lead or become successful?
For example, taking charge in an unfamiliar role, especially the first 90-days in a higher level role, stretches everyone to where they feel uncomfortable, if not inauthentic. People generally follow two strategies in new roles.
I am NOT changing for anyone anytime.
People adapt their personal styles and “try-on” differing personas or images until they find one that fits. Ibarra’s research references claim these people are most likely to succeed.
People who are staunchly true to self, “may stick too long with comfortable behavior that prevents them from meeting new requirements, instead of evolving their style as they gain insight and experience.” These people will be overlooked. They also are likely to burn out “bucking the system.”
Here are few objections that people trying to be “true to themselves” use to stay in their comfort zones.
- I’m not a story teller. I stick to facts. I don’t care if people don’t get the facts.
- I don’t sell. The truth is the truth. People need to understand it. Selling is manipulative.
- I don’t need to understand people I work with. They are professionals. Period.
- Using emotions to pitch an idea is manipulative. I don’t manipulate. People need to be rational.
Can authentic leadership develop new behaviors?
Ibarra states that those who are successful use playfulness to explore different behaviors that might become more effective. Those who are effective try new activities and new patterns that take them out of their comfort zone. Authentic leadership seems to slip away for awhile until the skill level increases with the new behaviors.
Continue to work your story. Those who aspire to do more, accomplish big things, have a positive impact on the world know the importance of establishing a good story to tell. Ibarra points to research that indicates those who continue to develop their story are adept and becoming authentic leaders in new and ever changing environments.
Those who are adaptable are ones who are most likely to quickly find an effective authentic leadership style for their new environment.
In no way do I believe you abandon knowing yourself well. Ibarra does not claim that either.
Don’t get stuck in your “profile.” It is not cast in stone. Play with new patterns, experiment with new approaches, learn from others, observe what works and imitate it or parts of it that work for you. It is good to learn about professional profiles.
Personally, I’ve reinvented myself several times through my career still being true to myself. However, there were many times where I was definitely out of my comfort zone and didn’t feel authentic. However, that passed as I found my new patterns that both fit me and worked in the situation I was in.
Authentic Leadership is a journey.
So authentic leadership is not really a dilemma. It is a constant journey as ebb and flow into and out of authenticity searching for the right fit in each new situation.
If you are interested in talking about your authentic leadership journey, give me a call, let’s talk.
at 503-753-9971 or email me at phil@PhilBride.com.
Get unstuck. Make things happen.
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An interesting article to consider. In my job, I work with many different types of people. I find it best to change my leadership style to match the audience I am speaking with and what needs to be achieved. I don’t really think I can have a leadership style which fits all the situations I encounter.
I do agree leadership is a journey. It my experience to use resources like a business coach to help identify who I am as a leader and improve in my leadership style journey. I find one of the most important leadership skills is to be adaptable, willing to learn and invest in yourself.
Yes. You said it. And quite a journey it is once you decide to invest in yourself in continual learning and accept other people’s styles. Effectiveness increases.