Critical Thinking: Authentic Leadership

Critical Thinking: Authentic Leadership

Authentic leadership focuses on leadership that is genuine and real. Whether something is genuine and real may
likely be in the mind of the individual evaluating it or experiencing it.Examine the usefulness of authentic leadership in organizations by identifying research that supports or
refutes authentic leadership as a determinant of organizational or individual success.

In order to make the implicit explicit, identify elements of authentic leadership. Describe the behavioral
elements that one might objectively see in an authentic leader.

Include the role of emotional intelligence in authentic leadership.

Identify a nationally or internationally recognizable currently living business figure who might be described as an authentic leader, and justify your selection of that individual.

Next, critically evaluate your authentic leadership success in relation to the behavioral elements and emotional intelligence you identified as important. Identify any areas for personal growth as a result of this examination.Directions:
Write an essay that includes an introduction paragraph, the essay’s body, and a conclusion paragraph to address the assignment’s guide questions. Do not address the questions using a question and answer format.

Your well-written paper should meet the following requirements:

Be three to five pages in length, which does not include the title page, abstract or required reference page, which are never a part of the content minimum requirements.
Support your submission with course material concepts, principles and theories from the textbook and at least two current, scholarly, peer-reviewed journal articles. Current articles are those published in the most recent 5 years.It is strongly encouraged that you submit all assignments to the Turnitin Originality Check prior to submitting it to your instructor for grading. If you are unsure how to submit an assignment to the Originality Check tool, review the Turnitin Originality Check – Student Guide for step-by-step instructions.
In advance of submission, review the grading rubric to see how you will be graded for this assignment.Authentic Leadership in Contemporary Organisations

The extensive pace of change in the corporate world necessitates agility, adaptability, and flexibility of the approaches and styles of leadership to an ever-changing environment. There are vast complexities around economic, social, financial, and technical issues, and by adding moral, consciousness, and ethical testing dilemmas, then the complexity is aggravated. Thus, there is a need for leaders to strive to be unique and authentic in a bid to generate a collective range of authentic principles, perspectives, and values to address these complex situations. Here, conflict and tensions are vividly apparent, however paradoxically this can lead to the actuality of a stronghold of stability – authenticity. The notion has been around for centuries, but it was referred to by different names until Bill George popularised the terminology ‘authentic leadership’. Since 2003, authentic leadership has become jargon in the business world, yet it frequently overused and not amply comprehended as meaningful. Nonetheless, the concepts and ideas of authentic leadership can aid contemporary leaders lead their teams by having a great sense of identity, self-awareness, passion, and honesty. This paper examines the usefulness of authentic leadership by identifying studies that support the leadership as a determinant of success, examples, and elements of authentic leadership as well as the role of emotional intelligence.

Part One: Usefulness of Authentic Leadership

A Harvard professor’s book, Authentic Leadership, recommended a new type of authentic leader, whose character is ranked as the essential ingredient— more than the leadership styles and characteristics. In his book, George (2003) challenged preceding leadership models, comprising the competency-based and Great Man theories. In addition, the author provided a new and invigorating leadership model based on the genuine and mission-oriented persons who lead others with their hearts. George (2003) defined authentic leaders as the character-oriented, genuine, and moral leaders who have the highest integrity, courage, a sense of purpose, and are fully committed to their values to building stable organisations that fulfil all stakeholders’ needs as well as recognising the significance to the society. Blekkingh (2015) defines authentic leadership as a leadership approach, which focuses on building the legitimacy of leaders through cultivating and nurturing honest relationships with their followers against an ethical background.