1 1 Authentic Leadership Charlotte Rayner Professor of HRM Hot Topic Oct 2010

2 2 Structure 1.50 years of leadership in 2 slides… 2.The leadership industry 3.Authentic leadership 4.Conclusions

3 3 Leadership research emerged two constructs (1950’s-1990’s) High task High people 0 Note : Gary Yukl (2008) Leadership in Organizations is THE academic bible for conventional leadership studies

4 4 Effect on performance? High task High people 0 BUT evidence was unclear – showing importance of context It is not just WHAT you do but HOW you do it.

5 5 Key turning points in 1990’s In Search of Excellence (1985) effect Fifth Discipline (Peter Senge): Learning Org A Force for Change John Kotter

6 6 THEN ENRON –Misbehaviour from the top –A corporation geared to performance (any cost?) –Professional misconduct from Accts –Extraordinary losses Who is to blame … The Business Schools!!

7 7 ETHICAL LEADERSHIP The idea that shareholder value is not everything That ‘at any price’ is not good for business Sustainability – from business to the planet Research shows staff like this, even if top management / shareholders do not.

8 8 Leadership is all around us…. Amazon.co.uk ,166 books ,771 books ,940 books Web of Knowledge : academic articles , , ,650 Almost all with a stated assumption that leadership is a ‘good idea’

9 9 AUTHENTIC LEADERSHIP Definitions vary, but include…. Consistency between actions, values and words (Vision & purpose) Personal Mastery (Senge onwards) A focus on others’ wellbeing (Ethical stewardship) Stability (Follower security)

10 Mastery (Peter Senge) People with a high level of personal mastery live in a continual learning mode. They never ‘arrive’. Sometimes, language, such as the term ‘personal mastery’ creates a misleading sense of definiteness, of black and white. But personal mastery is not something you possess. It is a process. It is a lifelong discipline. People with a high level of personal mastery are acutely aware of their ignorance, their incompetence, their growth areas. And they are deeply self-confident. Paradoxical? Only for those who do not see the ‘journey is the reward’. (Senge 1990: The Fifth Discipline p142)

11 Values Purpose Words and deeds Consistency Employee well being Hard to achieve unless it is ‘real’

12 Authentic Leadership Hard to achieve unless its real... If real – means you have less role conflict and stress If real – means your staff might actually believe you

13 Authentic Leadership: a process How do you decide who you want to be? a)What you perceive others as wanting? b)As you see those ‘ahead’ of you? c)What you have admired or enjoyed? Outside-In OR Inside-Out

14 Authentic Leadership: Problem This is a process theory … little content Assumes one type of ‘right’ Assumes your purpose and vision fits the organisation Allows much ‘room’ for self-deception How will you judge ‘It works’?

15 Authentic Leadership: Problem What if you do not know what type of leader you want to be? Fake it? Try on various ‘skin’s? Get help (coaching & development)? Blunder around making mistakes until it feels ok?

16 Authentic Leadership Allows you to do more than ‘The Bottom Line’ Appears more accessible than Ethical Leadership Is still context specific – you need to find the ‘right’ organisation for you.

17 Which has been your best experience of leadership? What did those leaders do which made them good? Answers to these make a good starting point

18 Thank you