Leadership styles have traditionally centered their focus on profits, share prices, and productivity, but a new approach increasingly taken up by todays leaders, known as authentic leadership, takes a different spin on the concept. With the authentic leadership model, the focus is on people, values, and ethics first, with productivity and profits subsequently promoted by fostering an inclusive and welcoming environment where everyone feels heard.

Authentic leadership is a relatively new concept, and because of that, there isnt an official definition of authentic leadership. But ultimately, authentic leadership can be viewed as the opposite of traditional leadership in many ways. For example, whereas traditional leadership emphasizes leading with goals, authentic leadership instead focuses on leading with purpose. Or whereas traditional leadership focuses on profitability and productivity, authentic leadership focuses on inclusivity, ethics, and morals.

Authentic leaders are those who demonstrate self-discipline and a strong moral code they dont take shortcuts or bend their morals to meet certain goals. Theres a pattern of behavior that defines authentic leadership and its one that trends toward transparency, self-discipline, self-awareness, empathy, and emotional intelligence.

The theory of authentic leadership was introduced formally by Bill George in his 2003 book Authentic Leadership. In this book, George presents his theory that the key to being a successful leader is to be yourself. He suggests that great leadership starts with authenticity, which then strengthens your ability to hone your other leadership skills.

According to Bill George, there five main characteristics that define authentic leadership:

While authentic leadership is still a relatively new concept, research has backed up Georges claims, with several studies published on how authentic leadership can positively influence employee productivity, job performance, and overall employee engagement. Employees that are engaged, productive, and performing at their best boost the companys overall success. And research shows that authentic leadership has a way of bringing out the best in employees by creating an environment where they feel empowered and supported.

Authentic leaders create a productive, effective, and motivated environment by being transparent, honest, admitting when theyre wrong, and being open to criticism or feedback when needed. They are leaders who can solve conflicts without being manipulative, function within a specific set of ethical values, and can display vulnerability when appropriate. Building this sense of trust with employees is critical to authentic leadership and it all must come from a genuine place.

Authentic leadership is important for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts, because employees need to feel safe at work and comfortable speaking up if they experience or witness a threatening situation or microaggression in the workplace. If employees feel they must stay silent about toxic behavior in the workplace, the consequences to the organization can be significant. This can lead to high turnover, low productivity, and low morale across the company.

Research from Dr. Cottrill, Associate Professor Lopez, and Dr. Hoffman from the California School of Professional Psychology at Alliant International University found a strong connection between authentic leadership and individual feelings of inclusion. The research surveyed professionals and asked them to rate how inclusive they felt their organizations were and how they felt about themselves as employees. The survey looked at Organization Based Self Esteem (OBSE) ratings and Organizational Citizenship Behavior (OCB). Employees with a high OSBE would describe themselves as important, meaningful, effectual, and worthwhile to the organization, and companies that have a high OCB rating display altruism, conscientiousness, sportsmanship, courtesy, and civic virtue.

The findings showed that employees who feel more included at work are more likely to rate higher levels of self-worth within the organization and are also more likely to help their co-workers manage and prevent problems, demonstrate initiative, show up on time, overlook minor inconveniences, and care about their organizations performance. And the results also showed that authentic leadership had a direct impact on inclusivity and that authentic leadership can model inclusivity in the workplace all the way down the ladder. Companies with authentic leadership were also more likely to rate higher on the scale for OCB and that OCB is more likely when an employee feels included and experiences higher rates of OBSE.

Diversity is also critical to organizational success companies that are more diverse at every level are more successful than their less-diverse counterparts. Authentic leaders create inclusive environments where everyone feel safe to bring their full selves to work. They wont have to hide parts of their identity to make others comfortable or to protect themselves from potential discrimination.

Becoming an authentic leader takes a lot of self-reflection and self-awareness. Youll need to work to understand yourself and others, using empathy and compassion as your driving force. For examples of authentic leadership in the tech industry, you can look to former CEO of Apple Steve Jobs, former CEO of GE Jack Welch, former CEO of Xerox Anne Mulcahy, and former CEO of IBM Sam Palmisano. These leaders are all known for their authentic leadership styles that helped them drive business success.

To become an authentic leader, youll need to embark on a path of self-discovery, establish a strong set of values and principles that will guide you in your decision-making, and be completely honest with yourself about who you are. An authentic leader isnt afraid to make mistakes or to own up to mistakes when they happen. Youll need to make sure youre someone who takes accountability, maintains calm under pressure, and can be vulnerable with coworkers and employees.

Its important to know your own strengths and weaknesses as an authentic leader and to identify how you cope with success, failure, and setbacks. Authentic leaders are comfortable being themselves, but the first step is figuring out who you are. It requires an immense amount of honesty with yourself, and a full acceptance of your positive and negative traits. Once youve figured out who you are and what you stand for, you will be ready to start leading authentically.

For those interested in learning more about how to become an authentic leader, several courses that focus on developing authentic leadership skills are available today, including the following:

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Authentic leadership: Building an organization that thrives - CIO