At best, ours is a world in flux, writes Peter Laburn. At worst, it’s in chaos. Over the past 200 years of capitalism we have made money the yardstick of success, sadly choosing to define ourselves by our material possessions and wealth. Compound this with more recent events, including a pandemic, global and local economic downturns, and severe political instability, and you can start to understand the status quo.In times of uncertainty, human nature tends to focus on survival — the desire to look after ourselves above all else kicks in, often encouraging greed. As we look around now, it’s clear that we have largely lost our moral fibre and been encouraged to relinquish our authenticity. This is apparent in the loss of authentic leadership in all walks of life.
What does authentic leadership mean, and why is it so relevant to the economic and political climate in which we find ourselves?
The case for authenticity
Authentic leadership is born out of the notion that leadership is a state of being, not of doing. Leadership isn’t a set of prescribed behaviours or actions; instead it’s an embodiment of who are intrinsically and fundamentally. If we’re authentic in our leadership style, we’re continuously in tune with our values and purpose in life. We’re self-aware, intellectually, emotionally and spiritually intelligent, and in touch with our personal sense of meaning and legacy.
While pursuing profits may indeed work for some if their life purpose is to accumulate wealth or if they want to define their life by this wealth, it doesn’t apply to everyone. Too many of us find ourselves working in spaces that demand or incentivise us to behave in a certain way or to pursue organisational objectives that don’t align with who we are, or who we want to be. This results in us displaying inauthentic leadership — continuously trying to be someone we are not in order to meet prescribed objectives (and get the bigger bonus!).
The knock-on effect is that we become stressed, and that behave or lead inconsistently or erratically, which creates stressful working environments for those we lead, too. Ultimately, we are at our best when we are allowed and encouraged to be authentically ourselves.
Shifting the world as we know it
In a wide variety of contexts, from the corporate to the political, leaders appear to be floundering in roles that are plastic, narcissistic and inauthentic. In South Africa, moral integrity is lacking in political leadership because those in power are required to toe the party line, and business leaders, with only a few exceptions, sadly follow suit, conforming to corporate edicts.
The result is that our political offices and boardrooms are urgently in need of leaders who are committed to being themselves, and who create working environments that encourage the same in their fellow leaders and employees.
We need leaders who are self-aware to truly embody their own values (which ideally should be aligned to the espoused values of their companies), who allow everyone’s views to be heard and respected, and who acknowledge their responsibility in uniting their teams around a common purpose. If this is the case, an inclusive, supportive and productive culture is likely to be nurtured.
HR teams have a role to play in this regard. During recruitment, they should ascertain whether potential employees or leaders will be able to express themselves authentically in that company’s culture. In reality, most potential employees are selling what they think the organisation wants, as opposed to presenting themselves and who they are authentically.
Once people are employed, HR teams have a responsibility not to develop systems and training programmes that encourage people to move away from being themselves in pursuit of predetermined (and possibly inauthentic) organisational leadership competencies. Instead, they should design emotional and leadership development procedures that encourage self-awareness as the foundation of leadership.
Imagining an authentic world
What shifts would we see if there was greater authenticity in leadership?
Greater connectivity between leaders and their employees for one, and more empathy, more consistency. More people willing to be themselves, to stand up and make a difference. The psychological and emotional toll on employees working beneath inauthentic leaders would be alleviated, workplaces would experience less toxicity, stress and anxiety, and companies would likely reduce turnover.
There would be a knock-on effect in our personal lives, too. Even employees in the humblest roles in our organisations are leaders in their own homes, and people who feel disempowered and frustrated at work are likely to take their stress and unhappiness home with them and potentially lash out in domestic contexts, which can perpetuate cycles of abuse and economic hardship. The reverse can contribute to home environments that are safe, loving and supportive.
Leadership is about being, not doing. It is about being the best version of yourself and leading out of that state. It’s about answering a call for service, serving others and being abundant in your demeanour. It’s about fostering interest, opportunity, energy and mentorship.
The more authentic we are to ourselves, the more naturally these critical aspects of leadership will come out in us, transforming homes, workplaces and nations in the process. The potential to change the status quo still exists.
Peter Laburn is the founder of the transformational leadership movement, Lead with Humanity, and the author of the pioneering book, Leading with Humanity.