Course Title: Bus 212 Executive Leadership, Fall 2012
Article Title: Discovering Your Authentic Leadership
Author(s): Bill George, Peter Sims, Andrew N. McLean, and Diana Mayer
Journal: Harvard Business Review
Publication Date: February 1, 2007
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Through Discovering Your Authentic Leadership, readers will learn that you do not have to be born with a specific characteristic or traits of what society views as a leader. Nor do you have to wait for a tap on the shoulder, or be at the top of your organization. You can discover your potential to be a leader at any time. Discovering your authentic leadership requires a strong commitment to developing yourself, and devoting yourself to a …show more content…
Authentic leaders build strong, viable support teams to help them stay on course. These support teams provide affirmation, advice, perspective and calls for correction when they are needed. An individual’s support team can have a multifaceted structure that includes their family, mentors, close friends and colleagues. It is important to have at least one person in this support team with who you can completely be yourself, and still be accepted unconditionally. It’s also important to remember that building relationships to make up a support team takes time, shared values and a common purpose.
Integrating Your Life By Staying Grounded: One of the greatest challenges that leaders face is the value of integrating their life. Leading a balanced life involves bringing together all constituents—family, work, community and friends. This provides the opportunity to truly be oneself in each environment. In addition to having this balance among all constituents, authentic leaders make time for physical exercise, spiritual practice, community service and return to the places where they grew up. This all enables the sustainability of authenticity.
Empowering People to Lead: Recognizing that leadership is not about success or getting loyal subordinates to follow is a key attribute that makes up an authentic leader. Authentic leaders know that the key to organizational success is having empowered leaders at all levels.