Answer the Call for
Authentic Leadership The best way to answer the call for authentic leadership is to redefine the term. Refocus it on how accurately individuals understand themselves, perceive situations and assess their environment rather than on how individuals present themselves.
54 Chief Learning Officer • June 2017 • www.CLOmedia.com
BY R ANDALL P. WHITE
A
uthentic leadership proponents have elbowed their way to the self-help forefront over the past decade. The concept has become a popular point of entry for executives seeking personal improvement and competitive advantage. This can be good — or not. Authentic leadership can be quickly misunderstood. There is a danger in oversimplifying the concept — some assume it’s “just be yourself ” — which diminishes the need for development. When it’s understood as a means rather than an end,