Can authenticity and leadership co-exist?
In the video above I give my perspective on the question “Can Authenticity and Leadership Co-exist?”
Here I’d like to start by clarifying the difference between leadership as an inherent character trait and the common perception of genuine leadership, which often pertains to individuals leading organisations.
These are some of the characteristics of a born leader that my AI came up with:
Confidence: Natural leaders tend to exude confidence in their abilities and decisions, which inspires trust and followership among their peers.
Charisma: They possess a magnetic charm that draws others in and makes people want to follow them. Their presence is influential and inspiring.
Communication Skills: Born leaders are adept communicators, effectively conveying their ideas and vision to others. They can articulate complex concepts in a clear and relatable manner.
Positive Influence: Their attitude and behaviour positively impact those around them, creating a motivating and uplifting environment.
Just to point out that history has many examples of people using their leadership skills in less than favourable ways, Hitler being a classic example.
Now let’s take these characteristics and ask ourselves, are they necessarily what defines leadership in the corporate world?
When I use the word corporate, I mean it to include all organisational structures, including the education system that I am most familiar with.
If we are only going to consider what makes a “good leader” in the corporate world, then it’s probably true to say that all the above apply, as does having good communication skills, empathy, and resilience.
There is already a consensus on what makes a good corporate leader and they include the above.
However, this is where my perspective might stir some controversy.
Drawing from my own experiences, it's become evident that the individuals who often rise to leadership positions within most organisations do not necessarily reach those roles due to their inherent leadership skills. Instead, they appear to secure leadership positions by excelling at navigating the corporate environment more proficiently than their colleagues.
If we are going to have genuine discussions about leadership or maybe even more serious ones about what success really is in today’s world, then we must be willing to accept that not all those that reach the heights of leadership do so because they are better leaders. I’d even go as far as to argue, that often career progression is more to do with compliance than true talent.
Leaders that changed the world
So this is where I like to give examples of leaders that have changed our world, people like Nelson Mandela and Ghandi - feminists such as Emily Pankhurst and my personal hero Gloria Steinem.
What all these leaders have in common was their commitment to their values, the thing they believed in so strongly that nothing was going to stop them from fighting for their cause. They were rebels and courageous risk takers. And they all had a strong desire to help others.
Authenticity
And this is where the importance of authenticity comes in because when you are true to yourself, you pay attention to that thing that calls out to you even in your sleep!
I talk a bit more about this in this video:
The question then becomes how can you be truly authentic in a world that not only requires you to conform, it insists that you do so?
And when you can’t or won’t conform, there is very little chance of you climbing the ranks of corporate leadership.
If I use the education system as an example, the super heads I met were rarely super teachers or super anything to be frank. But they were super followers because that is often what takes people to the top. As long as you say the right thing, wear the right clothes, have the acceptable views, live the way you should live – then you fit, otherwise you’ll certainly never be part of their gang!
Of course, there are people that can function well in these “corporate” environments but for many of us it just isn’t possible. The very idea that we must fit into a lifestyle that requires us to compromise on our deepest values feels as bad as having our teeth pulled out, without anaesthetic!
To people like myself working in an environment that limits individualism and creativity is just a continuation of what we must endure during our schooling.
So in reply to the question “Can authenticity and leadership co-exist?” - I’d have to argue that all depends on how you define authenticity and leadership. If it is defined by what society accepts as normal, then I guess it can, however if you take both out of that narrow lens, I’d have to argue the answer is no.
And my view is probably best explained by Aldous Huxley, in his book “Brave New World” in which he writes:
The real hopeless victims of mental illness are to be found among those who appear to be most normal.
Many of them are normal because they are so well adjusted to our mode of existence, because their human voice has been silenced so early in their lives that they do not even struggle or suffer or develop symptoms as the neurotic does.
They are normal not in what may be called the absolute sense of the word; they are normal only in relation to a profoundly abnormal society.
Their perfect adjustment to that abnormal society is a measure of their mental sickness. These millions of abnormally normal people, living without fuss in a society to which, if they were fully human beings, they ought not to be adjusted.
I write more about this topic in my new book which is available to order at your local bookshop or online……