Authentic leaders (they wrote in a HBR artcicle in 2007) are ones that demonstrate demonstrate passion, are consistent especially with their values and their interactions and are not afraid to wear their heart on their sleeve.
Importantly they "establish long-term, meaningful relationships and have the self-discipline to get results. They know who they are." (George et al, 2007).
Some of the key points of this 2007 article were:
leadership emerged from the individuals life stories often reframed so they understood who they were at their core. In doing so, they learned that being authentic made them more effective.
What the authors point out is that "critically many leaders reported that their motivation came from a difficult experience in their lives and rather than seeing themselves as victims, though, authentic leaders used these formative experiences to give meaning to their lives. They reframed these events to rise above their challenges and to discover their passion to lead" (George et al, 2007).
But this awareness and discovery can not take place without and individual having the courage and honesty to open up and examine their experiences. As they do so, it is suggested that leaders become more humane and willing to be vulnerable.
It is only by doing this type of self analysis to become self aware that leaders can develop and express the authenticity that is required to truly lead. Connection with people : really connecting with people is key as is understanding how in any given situation another person may be feeling. To that end George et al, write that these authentic leaders are constantly aware of the importance of staying grounded. They spend time with their families and close friends. They participate in physical activity and refesh and replenish their bodies and encourage others to do so. And further they create environments where a culture of acceptance, or flexibility of telling hard truths, of honesty and support are all accepted norms. All of this is essential to their effectiveness as leaders, enabling them to sustain their authenticity.
So what's your story? How self aware are you? How much have you examined your values? Over and above all of this how connected are you to the people that you lead.....do they see you as authentic?
So if you've read this far....thank you. I wanted to share with you part of my story. The story that, as a child, already influenced the construction of my personal identity and in time was to shape who I was and am now as an individual (Macionis & Plummer 2012, p. 215). What happened was a traumatic event in my childhood that involved sexual abuse.
Thirty-five years later, I am: a husband, a father, a driven and competitive individual,motivated by; making a difference in my career and social life, but also by; a fear of failure and a constant drive for being the best I can be. That drive has delivered a comfortable existence, a residence in the leafy east towards the Yarra Valley, and an office, in the financial hub of Melbourne. My career has provided the financial freedom to embark on further education, adding to an university degree and postgraduate qualifications in financial services. As I reflect now, it seems that I have defied, through design, research that points to lower incomes for male survivors of CSA and a career choice of a ‘female’ occupation (Robst & VanGilder, 2011, p. 350) and fought to join Weber’s concept of ‘party’ to effect power over my social outcomes, seeking class and status to reach my goals (Back et al, 2012, p. 51).
Similar to studies of relationships for male CSA survivors, I found myself, as a child, with very few dependable connections with adults (Kia-Keating et al 2010, p. 679). My relationships ran a course where they were with someone who offered emotional availability and care or where they themselves needed my help. I was drawn to women who were available or had experienced trauma.
Herbert Mead argued that people take on identities that we base on our participation in networks of social relationships and related roles (Merolla et al, 2012, p. 149). How we determine our sense of self is based therefore on social experience. The personalities I encountered allow me today to appreciate another persons point of view. Their problems (that I often sought out), from eating disorders, mental health issues, CSA and rape survivors, provided me with a sense of understanding of what real challenges and adversity are. Perspective was a gift that these people gave to me.
It is that appreciation of the experience of others that has allowed me to enjoy my work role as it is today. Fundamentally my career has been built around understanding peoples motivations and drivers and why they make the decisions that they do. My role involves me coaching and mentoring a sales team in financial services and I am called upon to deliver presentations about positive customer experiences and how to create them.
Financial services, however, in my experience, remains a male dominated industry and presents a boys club environment where the way to get ahead (sometimes) is by managing upwards. But rather than become part of this culture I have steadfastly resisted, seeking out the few female leaders in the industry and working with them. When I found myself in a male dominated organisation I refused to play the political games that were required for career enhancement instead striving for the recognition of personal endeavour. That rebellion against the social stability of those workplaces was in reality a protest against authority figures, particularly male ones. Weber’s assessment of authority and power is incredibly relevant.
In the workplace I do not automatically accept the traditional authority of a hierarchy of managers. Weber’s rational-legal authority and the political life of the society of a workplace (Macionis &Plummer 2010, p. 538) may be the backbone of organisations, but for me they represented the potential for the abuse of power. My association with experiencing CSA from a patriarchal figure saw me in later life avoid engaging in the politics of workplaces. Rather I was drawn to leaders who exhibited outstanding qualities that Weber described as charismatic authority,less attributed to social organisation and more associated with an individuals personality (Macionis & Plummer 2010, p. 538). Throughout my working life I have found those qualities more often in women and tried to lead others in that manner, setting an example of work ethic and relying less on the authority of a position and more on the genuineness of my actions.
For years I struggled with the emotional journey of healing. In Chris Gardner’s book, ‘Start Where You Are’, Chris, a victim himself of childhood abuse, passes the reader some advice:
“…to anyone in real crisis …find a place of calmness and stillness …where you can gain some perspective. Only with a reasoned outlook can you find the solutions and empowerment that are already there” (Gardner 2010, p. 58).
When I reflect on the experiences that make me who I am, I think of Foucault who argued that we are the product of discourses without which there is prior no essential self (Back et al, 2012, p. 95). The social experiences of my life, have developed the characteristics of what makes me, me (Macionis & Plummer 2012, p. 208). I am grateful for where I am in life, for the people I have met and the experiences I have had. It seems incredulous that I could ever look at my CSA experience that way. But finally I can say “Peace! Be Still” (Gardner 2010, p. 61)and understand in that moment the rich perspective my life experience has given me.
The story of your life makes you who you are. If you aspire to lead with authenticity, explore your story, decide what you can share, articulate your values and learn about others. Only then can you lead.
References
Back, Les; Bennett, Andy; Edles, Laura Desfor; Gibson, Margaret; Inglis, David; Jacobs, Ron; Woodward, Ian 2012, Cultural Sociology : An Introduction, e-book, accessed 15 November 2013,
Gardner, Chris 2010, Start Where You Are ; Life Lessons in Getting from Where You Are to WhereYou Want to Be, Amistad, New York.
George, Bill, Sims, Peter, McLean, Andrew N and Mayer, D 2007, Discovering Your Authentic Leadership, HBR, Feb 2007 Edition,
Kia-Keating, Maryam, Sorsoli, Lynn and Grossman, Frances, K. 2010, ‘Relational Challenges and Recovery Processes in Male Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse’, Journal of Interpersonal Violence, vol. 25, no. 4, pp. 666-683.
Macionis, John, J. and Plummer, Ken 2012, Sociology: A Global Introduction, 5th ed., Pearson, Prentice Hall, New York.
Merolla, David, M., Serpe, Richard, T., Stryker, Sheldon and Schultz, P. Wesley 2012, ‘Structural Precursors to Identity Processes: The Role of Proximate Social Structures’, Social Psychology Quarterly, vol. 75, no. 2, pp. 149-172.
Robst, John and VanGilder, Jennifer 2011, ‘The role of childhood sexual victimisation in the occupational choice of adults’, Applied Economics, vol. 43, pp. 341-354.
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