The Importance of Authentic Leadership

Authentic leaders are true to themselves and encourage others to embrace the same mindset, ensuring that they give just enough of their authentic self to leadership decisions and actions whilst retaining a professional balance (Goffee & Jones, 2019; Avolio & Gardner, 2005). If a leader is acting in a way that authentically represents themselves and their views then they are more likely to be seen as a leader who is able transform the relationships around them which has been found to be key when promoting equity in leadership and work environments (Shields, 2010).

Which is all very well and good, isn’t it? It’s a good paragraph with some decent references but what do I mean by being authentic? Here’s my definition:

To be authentic is to know our strengths and own our weaknesses; to allow those attributes to colour decision-making and to engage those we lead fully with our intentions and feelings.

So, why is this a good thing and how can we make it accessible to others? Because a leader who shies away from moments of true vulnerability, denying their authentic selves, risks not being able to adapt authentically to required contextual adaptations, will likely fail; if not immediately, they will be vulnerable to short-lived and hyperbolic success.

However, a leader who looks inward to their true selves, symbiotically relating their core beliefs

with those of their institution and best interests of their team can expect a longevity in their leadership, a loyalty from those they lead and success in their chosen goals. By embracing vulnerability through authenticity, we create an environment that fosters learning for everyone, regardless of the scale of the educational setting and this is crucial for the desired growth of equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in those settings (Miller, 2022).

Tips

For a concept that feels ephemeral or perhaps even intangible, the biggest question I get asked is how can I improve my authenticity? Without falling into the tropes of Greek maxims such as “Know Thyself” or peering behind the arras at a quaking Polonius, here are some practical tips I find useful that apply to leadership development:

• Self-Reflection: You should aim set aside time each week for self-reflection which can be done through journaling or any method of recording that suits you: there’s a lot of apps and programmes out there that might help here.
  • Set aside 15-30 minutes each week for reflective journaling. Ask yourself questions like, “What did I learn about myself this week?” and “How can I improve my leadership practice?”
• Building Accountability: Try establishing accountability partners or groups where other leaders in your setting can share their goals and progress – I personally think this is different to a coaching model but this would suffice, too.
• Implementing Ethical Conduct: For something more personal, an attempt at maintaining ethical standards could be done through creating a personal code of ethics and regularly reviewing it with your coach or against your own journal entries
• Encouraging EDI Practices: Create opportunities in your setting where people can share ideas for integrating EDI principles into leadership practices, such as attending diversity training and actively seeking diverse perspectives. For me, this is about being actively interested in this area and walking the walk.

Intentional Development

Anecdotally, the advantages of authentic leadership far outweigh any resistance you will naturally feel in such a vulnerable state; it takes a certain amount of self-awareness and strength to admit to a failing or shortcoming to a group of people too whom you feel you must appear infallible. That’s not to say this is a silver bullet, indeed Gardner et al. (2021) found that there is a risk taken when attributing all positive outcomes to an authentic approach when diplomacy, flexibility and making strategic choices about which opinions to share may be as effective.

Whilst I have some sympathy for this research, my own work in this area – soon to be published – is revealing ways in which we can assimilate the concerns of Gardner et al. into a meaningful model of leadership. Kohlbeck (2024) speaks about teachers dramatically aligning their thinking so that creation of habits in turn impact positively on sustainability and I think this applies to authentic leadership, too. The tips above, in some instances, require time we don’t have processing information in ways we’re unfamiliar with. Taking a keen eye on the future, leaders can intentionally develop their practices of authentic leadership to create systems of habit-forming routines that will impact on the sustainability of whatever project they have in mind.

Conclusion

There is never the room to write in a blog post what some have committed lifetimes and forests of paper to, but I hope this has sparked something for you. There is huge benefit and advantage to be gained from self-reflection that it tips into knowing your authentic self just enough to reveal it strategically in your school and, therefore, positively impacting your leadership and outcomes.

When Tom Sherrington released a post about his own vulnerability (here), I, along with countless others, took to my own blog (here) to praise the bravery of admitting fault and the lessons than can be gleaned from moments of such susceptibility. I have tried, and failed, to come up with a closing paragraph but then realised I had already written it, so please forgive the paraphrasing:

“By allowing ourselves to assimilate our experiences through acknowledgement of errors and being of a mindset that allows growth, we cannot underestimate the positive impact this will have on our own leadership journeys and those of the people who follow us.”

References

Avolio, B. J., & Gardner, W. L. (2005). Authentic Leadership Development: Getting to the Root of Positive Forms of Leadership. The Leadership Quarterly, 16(3), 315-338.

Brown, B. (2012). Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead. Gotham Books.

Eagly, A. H. (2005). Achieving relational authenticity in leadership: Does gender matter? The Leadership Quarterly, 16(3), 459-474.

Gardner, W.L., Karam, E.P., Alvesson, M. and Einola, K. (2021). Authentic Leadership theory: the Case for and against. The Leadership Quarterly, 32(6), p.101495.

Goffee, R. and Jones, G. (2019) Why should anyone be led by you?: What it takes to be an authentic leader. Harvard Business Press.

Kohlbeck, A. (2024). Reframing post-lesson assessment and feedback: A case study : My College. [online] My College. Available at: https://my.chartered.college/impact_article/reframing-post-lesson-assessment-and-feedback-a-case-study/ [Accessed 20 Dec. 2024].

Miller, P. (2022). What is inclusive leadership? | Staff Blog | Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh. [online] Available at: https://www.qmu.ac.uk/campus-life/blogs/staff-professor-paul-miller/what-is-inclusive-leadership [Accessed 19 Dec. 2024].

Northouse, P. G. (2018). Leadership: Theory and Practice. Sage Publications.

Shields, C. M. (2010). Transformative Leadership: Working for Equity in Diverse Contexts. Educational Administration Quarterly, 46(4), 558-589.

Passey, C. (2024). Meaningful Leadership. [online] Edupulse. Available at: https://www.edupulse.co/post/meaningful-leadership-blog [Accessed 20 Dec. 2024].