What is Authentic Leadership? History and Definitions

Hello beautiful people!

Authenticity is hard to come by. With the rise of influencers, AI-generated video, and non-stop media commentary, it seems that authenticity is not only rare, but treasured.

It’s why Merriam-Webster made “authenticity” their 2023 word of the year… it is something we are all seeking. Even at work.

I made a career of leading high-performing teams and building safe, inclusive workplace cultures. But for most of my 30+ years in business, I did not have a name for my leadership style. It was just what I did… informed by my upbringing, personal challenges, and intuition.

A few years ago, I heard a phrase… “authentic leadership” … and it hit me like the sudden recognition of an old friend in a crowded room. THIS is what I had been seeking, practicing, and teaching all these years.

I have since gone down the rabbit hole of learning about authentic leadership, its roots, and how it is developed.

Through this work, I am more convinced than ever that authentic leadership is crucial to solving the myriad problems we face in our world today.

We need more authentic leaders… and I’ve made it my mission to share, promote, inspire, and teach authentic leadership to anyone who will listen.

Today’s newsletter is the beginning of Authentic Leadership 101, your personal course in living and leading with authenticity.

This week, we will cover a brief history of authentic leadership, as well as my personal definition. Future newsletters will dive deeper into how to develop an authentic leadership style.

Let’s dive in!

✅ Authentic Leadership 101: What is Authentic Leadership and Where did it come from?

The history of authentic leadership stems from three main movements:

1. Personal authenticity as written about by ancient the Greeks and Romans, as well as existential philosophers like Kierkegaard and Sartre. The existentialists said that authenticity is, “the degree to which a person's actions are congruent with their values and desires, despite external pressures to social conformity.”

2. Servant Leadership, a methodology developed by Robert Greenleaf in the early 2000s, took the corporate world by storm while I was at Disney. “Servant Leadership is a non-traditional leadership philosophy, embedded in a set of behaviors and practices that place the primary emphasis on the well-being of those being served,” said Greenleaf.

3. Emotional intelligence (EQ), a leadership and personality concept that became popular in the 2010s, defines the difference between “book smarts” and “people smarts.” The 4 Pillars of Emotional Intelligence, according to Maria Serra in 2011, are Self Awareness, Self-Management, Social Awareness, and Relationship Management.

Authentic leadership was first coined by Bill George in his 2003 book, Authentic Leadership. George, the former CEO of Medtronic, extolled five essential dimensions of authentic leadership—purpose, values, heart, relationships, and self-discipline.

As a student of history, I appreciate all the work these great thinkers and leaders have done in the past. They have set the stage for a new era of leadership, which comes at a crucial time in our world.

Here is how I define Authentic Leadership:

In other words…

Authentic leaders encourage and inspire authenticity from their team members.

But authentic leadership is not just about making people happy and comfortable. It is a crucial component of high-performing teams. Authentic leaders create cultures of success by creating psychological safety.

Psychological safety is a concept discovered by psychologist Amy Edmondson. In her work, she discovered that the most effective teams are those where the members felt safe to disagree, raise concerns, take risks, and make mistakes.

Creating a psychologically safe environment is the best way to drive innovation and performance—and it is a core principle of authentic leadership.

My Principles of Authentic Leadership:

1. Mission-driven

2. Long-term focused

3. Psychologically-safe

4. Inclusive and welcoming

5. Committed to lifelong learning

6. Community- and environmentally-conscious

7.  How a goal is achieved is just as important as the goal itself

Authentic leadership is not just measured by business results, but team engagement. “The best, most engaging role of my life,” is the impression authentic leaders leave on their teams and colleagues.

There are many leadership styles and schools of management thought. However, authentic leadership is the most challenging to attain… because it requires the most internal work before it can be externally realized.

That is why authentic leadership, in my opinion, is the highest state a person can achieve… and it is something we should all strive for.

In my next few newsletters, I will continue to explore the WHY, WHAT, and HOW of authentic leadership, including the journey one takes to reach authenticity.

For now, I want to hear from you… what does authentic leadership mean to you?

🌟 Leader Spotlight: Bruce Smail

"May we leave our corner of the world better than we found it."

Bruice is the Director of LGBTQ+ Culture Center and Special Assistant to the Vice President for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at University of Indiana, Bloomington

I asked Bruce a few questions about his work, mission, and passions. Here is a lightly edited transcript from that interview:

What is the role of the Culture Center for the Campus Community?

The primary role of the LGBTQ+ Culture Center is to support and advocate for LGBTQ+ students. We also support LGBTQ+ staff, faculty, alums, and the Bloomington community. We work with the campus community in creating a safer environment for our students and community. This includes training and consulting with various departments across campus.

Your work with HIV/AIDS awareness is so important. Can you share with us the story of your leadership in this space?

Twenty-one years ago, on February 10, 2003, I became HIV positive. At the time, I was serving as the Director of the GLBT Resource Center at the University of Colorado, Boulder. It was vital for me to be visible about my HIV status, and it began my journey of advocating for HIV issues. Seven years after diagnosis, I posted my story of living with HIV. In 2005, I returned home to the Virgin Islands to serve as the Chief Executive Officer of the largest HIV/AIDS organization in the territory --- VICARE. After VICARE, I served as the Executive Director of The MOCHA Center in Rochester, Buffalo, and New York City. I also served as Deputy Director of the Black AIDS Institute in Los Angeles, a national advocacy organization fighting to end HIV in Black communities. At Indiana University, I bridged the gap between HIV/AIDS organizations and Higher Education by launching the Indiana University National HIV Conference during the Summer of 2022.

You are pursuing your PhD.   What drove that decision, and what are you studying?

I began a Ph.D. program in Higher Education at Indiana University in the mid-1990s. After four years of coursework, I left IU but was not able to finish the dissertation process. Ironically, I returned to IU in 2020 and had some conversations about finishing the PhD here, but so many years had passed, which meant that I basically would have to start over. A mentor mentioned a Ph.D. program in Leadership & Change at Antioch University, which was designed for adult learners. I decided to explore the possibilities and realized it was a great fit. The Graduate School for Leadership & Change is committed to social justice and is an interdisciplinary degree. I started in the Summer of 2023 and am about to complete the second trimester of my first year. If all goes well, I should be finished with the PhD in the Summer of 2027. This also allows me to research my passion area --- HIV. At this stage, I am planning to research Black and Latinx

leaders of HIV organizations to understand their passion and drive for HIV advocacy. Looking forward to this journey.

Tell us your three favorite things to do in your free time.

I love to travel and I have a special love for Brasil. I have been there about 15 times, and it became even more special on this last trip since I met a particular person who is now my fiancé. I am very excited to see this new chapter in my life blossom.

I am an island boy, so I love the beach! Any opportunity to be by the ocean is a massive favorite of mine. I grew up in St. Croix, Virgin Islands. When I am not enjoying the beaches in St. Croix or Brasil --- you probably find me in South Beach in Miami or Venice Beach in Los Angeles.

I love boxers, and they have been an extraordinary part of my life. Starting in 2004 with Maxwell, 2006 Biko & Miko, 2007 Mandela, and in 2001 Langston, they have stolen my heart. Such loving and beautiful dogs. Unfortunately, Maxwell, Biko, Miko, and Mandela are in doggy heaven --- but I have many opportunities to spoil and love Mr. Langston.

🌈 What I'm LOVING ❤️❤️❤️

• The Bard Queer Leadership Project, a 4-year Bachelor’s Program located on the Bard College campus at Simon’s Rock, is now accepting student applications for Fall 2024!

  • BQLP is a space for envisioning and actualizing educational practices designed for LGBTQIA+ students to thrive. If you know a student who may be interested, let me know and I can introduce you to the program’s director, John Weinstein.

• For lifelong learners, Stanford has many in-person and online courses for Diversity and Inclusion. 

  • “Changing the world requires Diversity & Inclusion. Charting new paths to accelerate inclusion and foster diverse talent is key to any organization’s success.”

✊ What's Worth Fighting For

• 🏳️‍🌈 Marriage Equality. Alito renews criticism of Supreme Court’s same-sex marriage ruling in rejecting Missouri jury case.

  • This was always the end game… first they targeted Trans rights. Now they will try to claw back marriage equality.

• 🇺🇸 Election Year. 2024 is a pivotal year for LGBTQ+ rights, and the best thing we can do is build our political power by voting. The LGBTQ+ Victory Fund tracks, sponsors, and supports candidates who are committed to advancing LGBTQ+ rights. View all candidates and search for elections in your area.

🏳️‍🌈 Read All Pride, No Ego. A USA Today Best Seller!

• ​Barnes and Noble​

• ​Amazon​

• ​ShopQueer.co​

• ​Bookshop.org​

Love the book?? It would mean so much if you would leave a review.

Last thing...

If you enjoyed this week’s post, can I ask you a favor? Forward the email to just ONE person who might enjoy it as well!

Until next time...

Jim