Authentic Leadership Development and Validation
Response
Authentic leadership is an approach used in leadership to emphasize the need to build on the leaders’ legitimacy. An authentic leader develops an honest relationship with the followers by valuing their input. Also, central to this approach is an ethical practice. As an authentic leader, one must be positive about other people. In that regard, they strive to be truthful and open with the followers (Walumbwa et al., 2008). The description of the concept, therefore, confirms that cross-sectional leadership, ethics, and positive relations in an organization, form the foundation of an organization. That said, all authentic leaders should strive to demonstrate desirable and practical behaviors to advance the human enterprise. That is essential in accomplishing positive outcomes for an organization.
Yes, indeed, authentic leadership has roots in philosophy. Authentic leaders elicit great trust and performance in teams. That requires a high-level understanding of self. Personal experiences, values, and understanding, shape one’s approach to leadership and the impact they cause to teams. Further, authentic leaders must understand where they have been, the events they have encountered, and how they influence their behavior today (Walumbwa et al., 2008). With self-reflection, “crucible” experiences in leadership, philosophy becomes essential in identifying and articulating one’s views about leadership. Notably, philosophy provides an opportunity to clarify what is expected of a particular team.
Yes, a leader’s espoused values and actions become aligned over time and across situational challenges. Values and actions have the most profound impact on one’s leadership philosophy. They help one understand how to listen, connect, and identify with others emotionally (Datta, 2015). Additionally, they help a leader communicate his values and preferences across different situations. In so doing, the authentic leadership relies on the understanding of one’s weaknesses and multifaceted attributes aid in developing insight about a particular situation.
References
Walumbwa, F. O., Avolio, B. J., Wernsing, T. S. & Peterson, S. J. (2008). Authentic Leadership: Development and Validation of a Theory-Based Measure. Journal of Management, 34(1), 89-126
Datta, B. (2015). Assessing the effectiveness of authentic leadership. International Journal of Leadership Studies, 9(1), 62-75.