Authentic leadership is a relatively new leadership theory which was needed because of the ubiquitous ethical and moral leadership problems of the 21st century. There became an increased interest in authentic leadership due to the great deal of societal upheaval and instability that the United States experienced beginning in the late 1990s through 2000s. The attacks of 9/11, widespread corporate scandals at companies such as Enron and WorldCom, as well as massive failures in the banking industry all created a great deal of fear and uncertainty amongst the population. People were longing for leaders who were honest and good. These factors made the study of authentic leadership timely and worthwhile (Northouse, 2016, p. 195). This paper will examine various perspectives on what it means to be an authentic leader, including the
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While the idea of authentic leadership has been around since the ancient Greek aphorism “know thyself” first appeared, it was not until Bill George started writing about it in 2003, that it became a popular leadership theory (“Authentic Leadership and Social Influence,” n.d.). George described authentic leadership as a style that is consistent with a leader's personality and core values, one that is honest, ethical, and practical (George, 2007). However, authentic leadership is not just about a person placed in a leadership role behaving in a way that is “true” to themselves without regards for others in the organization. It is a multi-faceted complex construct that involves followers, groups and the organization (Avolio & Gardner, 2005).
There are numerous aspects to authentic leadership but what has emerged from the literature as key themes include (Avolio & Gardner, 2005):
• a high level of self-awareness
• an ability to know oneself, objectively see one’s strengths and weaknesses and accept them but at the same time strive to be a better
While the idea of authentic leadership has been around since the ancient Greek aphorism “know thyself” first appeared, it was not until Bill George started writing about it in 2003, that it became a popular leadership theory (“Authentic Leadership and Social Influence,” n.d.). George described authentic leadership as a style that is consistent with a leader's personality and core values, one that is honest, ethical, and practical (George, 2007). However, authentic leadership is not just about a person placed in a leadership role behaving in a way that is “true” to themselves without regards for others in the organization. It is a multi-faceted complex construct that involves followers, groups and the organization (Avolio & Gardner, 2005).
There are numerous aspects to authentic leadership but what has emerged from the literature as key themes include (Avolio & Gardner, 2005):
• a high level of self-awareness
• an ability to know oneself, objectively see one’s strengths and weaknesses and accept them but at the same time strive to be a better