Let's start with a few definitions:
Authenticity - from a personal perspective this is about knowing who you are and being it without fear or compromise in all situations.
From an organisational perspective this is about being true to the purpose of the organisation in a holistic and integrated way. If the organisation is a business, this means generating profit through the pursuit of that purpose.
The simplest definition of leadership is an individual or organisation that has followers.
So authenticity is about being true to your own values and purpose - not necessarily to socially fashionable values. Having said that authenticity contributes to society rather than damages it, because none of us is authentically dysfunctional or destructive (except for some suffering mental illness).
And leadership is about others willingly following without the leader needing to make them.
Therefore Authentic Leadership is about inspiring others to follow your personal or organisational purpose or values.
For a more detailed definition see my free e-book "Authentic Leadership - 8 keys to successfully leading people (without selling your soul)."
Steve Jobs at Apple is an interesting and controversial example of Authentic Leadership - he is by no means easy going, but he is both utterly true to his purpose and values and certainly has followers. Wired has an interesting article about the Apple and Jobs form of authenticity.
The bit that is missing in this article is that the reason people follow Jobs is that they share his purpose. And the reason that people leave, voluntarily or otherwise is because they are not or are no longer aligned to that purpose.
Do not mistake the loving and passionate aspects of authenticity for tolerance or being easy going. Authenticity in business and leadership is also about relentless focus on the purpose.
For more on authenticity in life and business see www.authentictransformation.co.uk
6 comments:
It is not just Apple staff that follow Steve Jobs. He has created a corporation and brand that has embraced core values based around simplicity, useability, end-to-end connectivity, design excellence, constant innovation, and excellent customer service. As a result the number life-long Apple devotees and converts to Apple products is growing very fast. Ipod still outsells all other mp3 players put together, and Apple Mac sales doubled last year. By contrast, the followers of microsoft tend to be corporate IT specialists who would be out of a job if their employers switched to Apple Mac...
Neil, you say "...Do not mistake the loving and passionate aspects of authenticity for tolerance or being easy going..." as if being tolerant and easy going are negative traits.
I have followed your Authenticity Movement since your first book - which I still use as a reference -and indeed have recommended your books to many; they are inspirational. However, I was a little uncomfortable reading your blog, specifically the extract above.
Surely tolerance and an easy going nature should not compromise one's authenticity, but the way you phrase it suggests it would.
Authenticity itself is not necessarily honourable - a serial killer might be authentic (authentically dysfunctional as you rightly state), but surely authenticity needs to be demonstrated in the context of love, tolerance and kindness. I'm not sure that authenticity is a positive trait when coupled with a tendency to ride roughshod over others; and this is what I often see in business, by so-called leaders.
Regards, Mark L. - Maxim Training & Development
Apple sure seem to make great products, but they are made in China which increases their carbon footprint massively ... and of course no-one can support China's human rights abuses.
Scratch beneath the surface of Apple and you can see it completely neglected sustainability until Greenpeace bit it on the arse ... see - http://www.greenpeace.org/apple
It took nine months for Steve Jobs to react. It was the uprise of Apple's customers that made the difference. That's concerned brand loyalty.
You can't be authentic if you don't take care of your own shit. Apple is still at the forefront of the take, make and throw-away unsustainable economy.
It might be a brand for now, but it might not survive in a future that is set to be very different. Not unless it makes itself 100% clean/sustainable, from cradle to cradle.
Responding to Sparky
Tolerance is an interesting concept. For example it is tolerance that allows poor service, dangerous products, poverty, homelessness and going to war illegally to happen.
Things that are positive like diversity need to be embraced, not merely tolerated and things that are negative should not be tolerated.
I believe that we are all born as positive contributors to society. None are born negative. For the most part when people behave in negative ways it is through confusion and, if they can get back to their authentic truth, they will find their ability to be positive and make their contribution.
The exceptions are the few who are genuinely wired as psychopaths - but they are thankfully rare. The others do not have this excuse.
Hope this clarifies.
nx
Salary, status, benefits and security are no longer enough to fire up employees or guarantee loyalty; restlessness surrounds lack of fulfillment and continued HR & management focus on external gratifiers will do little to stauch the churn of employees.
Being transparent and committed to an organisational purpose and clearly communicating core beliefs and passions to potential new recruits, will positively impact on success-levels of recruitment and retention of like-minded employees.
My experience of recruiting for 100's of businesses for more than 12 years often showed that 'those at the top' certainly had the vision/purpose but did little to ensure that the frontline management team had the tools and support to lead authentically. Pressures to perform often made the purpose seem like a fanciful dream - an empty vision statement produced as part of a marketing exercise to stick on walls.
Authentic Recruitment aids Authentic Leadership.
Cultivar refers to a number of Apple's brand values. To me their core value (which they also occasionally refer to in their marketing) is 'Think Different'. This obviously applies to the development of their products and services. Take off the brand label on any PC and most people would not be able to differentiate one from another - they merge into one. Take the label off a Mac and it's still a Mac.
It also applies to their new products like iPods and the iPhone; their retail operation e.g. the Apple Store in London; their brilliant iTunes service; and their web marketing.
Think different also applies to their core customer base who have traditionally been people who would consider that they 'think different'. Whether this remains true as Apple significantly expands its customer base will be harder to achieve as it becomes more 'mass'.
To be true to the brand, the best brands act the same way internally and externally. I haven't worked for Apple and I don't know any individuals who work at Apple. However, I would be amazed if they didn't incorporate some of Neil's views as part of 'Think Different' internally to attract and keep the high quality people that great businesses need.
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