Leading and leadership

Many Questions that have been, and will continue to be asked by academics and business professionals in relation to leadership, and leadership style is which whether leaders are born or made and whether there is an agreed most effective style.

The evidence would suggest that an Authentic Style of leadership is preferred in much of the Western Culture and aligns with my personal credence. The Authentic being embraced because of events such as 9/11 being the most extreme, through to the well documented demise of a number of high profile organisations worldwide,  caused by the scandalous, unethical, dishonest and unscrupulous behaviour of authority figures. Employees or followers are looking for a leader to demonstrate integrity, honesty, trustworthiness, and morals. The Authentic Style also captures the transformational and altruistic values of leadership.

Although Transactional leadership is still being well practiced even in today’s business environment, it certainly doesn’t assist in implementing change, and it boarders that of a dictatorship style.

The Authentic approach acknowledges the importance of the employees and their values, that relationship affects work outcomes and organisational performance. How followers or employees view, perceive and interpret the leaders personal values, behaviours, abilities and belief in the driven goals or visions, are fundamental in predictive effectiveness of the leader and his or her leadership.

Authentic leaders look at how they can assist and develop, define and reward the employees, by assisting them and guiding them in ways, means and methods that they can find meaning in their own work, transparency employees, explaining the reasons why decisions are made, and the benefits for all in those decisions......

Multisource feedback assessments will, and can be implemented in number of key areas and departments to gain a better understanding of the overall perceptions, levels of trust and openness that followers feel toward mid and high level management.