OLS-57900 Week 9 - Authentic Leadership Theory
Key Takeaway 1: Not making commitments erodes trust. A commitment is not a goal. A commitment is something you absolutely will do. Think through what you'll need to do in order to fulfill it, external factors not in your control, the realistic timeline, and any necessary re-prioritizations. Then you can be clear on what your commitments are and what they are not. It is better to create fewer commitments and deliver on all of them than make more and only deliver on some (Anderson, 2023).
Key Takeaway 2: Every leader fits into one of the four leadership types shown in Exhibit 1 (based off of William Moulton Marston's DISC model). They can fit only in one, in a blend of 2, or perhaps embody different types in the different parts of their life (Anderson, 2023).
Key Takeaway 3: Authentic Leadership is created by leaders and followers together, being relationally authentic. Authentic leaders lead from their own convictions based on self-concept and how self-concept relates to actions. The self-concept depends on the life story of the leader. They exhibit the following 5 characteristics: (1) a sense of purpose; (2) strong Values; (3) trusting Relationship with others; (4) Act upon their values; and (5) are sensitive to others.
Exhibit 1: The Four Types of Leaders
Analysis: Authentic Leadership Theory is tightly coupled with Leader-Membership Exchange Theory (LMX), discussed in Week 7. It is my assessment that authenticity requires strong LMX and strong LMX creates authentic relationships. It is also clear that Authentic Leadership compliments Transformational Leadership Theory, discussed in Week 8. In order to generate inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, and individualized consideration to influence transformation, there must be authenticity. In fact, the Hero's Journey can be a great source for the Authentic Leader to define their convictions, which becomes the source of purpose and values.
Application: I embody different leadership types in different parts of my life. I am a Dominant Commander as a parent, Supportive Collaborator as a Spouse, Visionary Influencer at Work, and a Logical Creator at School. As confirmed in this week's Critical Thinking paper, at work I am a Visionary Influencer that blends with Supportive Collaborator. It is my propensity as a Supportive Collaborator to trust my staff, specifically in estimating level of effort on work. I need to work on scaling back my inclination to trust and follow the adage of trust, but verify so I don't overcommit work as the inability to delivery on my commitments erodes the trust others have in me. Additionally, I need to work on keeping commitments to myself. Too often I make deadlines for myself, which are really just goals. I need to be more clear on my personal commitments and deliver on them.
From an authentic leadership perspective, I believe I do well leading from an authentic place. I believe I can use this strength to improve my LMX action from Week 7 to better bring in my staff that are in the out-group into the in-group. I need to better commit to making the time to hold more 1:1s to better understand the purpose for each of my staff so I can authentically work it into their growth plan for mastery so they can achieve autonomy.
References
Anderson, R. M. (2023). Leadership Mindset 2.0. Columbia: Executive Joy! https://rmichaelanderson.com/leadership-mindset-2-0/
Northouse, P. G. (2019). Leadership: Theory and Practice 8th Edition. Los Angeles: Sage Publications.