Report: Discovering Your Authentic Leadership - Analysis & Summary

This report summarizes the article "Discovering Your Authentic Leadership" by Bill George, focusing on the key characteristics of authentic leadership. The article emphasizes self-awareness as the foundational element, highlighting the importance of understanding one's life story, values, and principles. Authentic leaders cultivate self-awareness through self-exploration and honest feedback. The report further discusses the steps to becoming an authentic leader, including constructing a cohesive biography, engaging in passions outside of work, and building strong decision-making and people skills. The summary also includes the author's perspective on improving the article by adding traits like integrity, critical thinking, and effective communication. The article emphasizes that authentic leadership is the key to long-term success and building agile organizations.

ARTICLE
Discovering Your
Authentic Leadership
Drupad P | Section A

A.Summary
In the article, “Discovering Your Authentic Leadership”, author Bill George
highlights the characteristics of authentic leadership. the most point the author is
trying to explain is that the path to authentic leadership is self-awareness. The
author discovered, through research, that self-awareness is that the basic and
most essential characteristic of authentic leaders. As George stated within the
article, “their leadership emerged from their life stories. Consciously and
subconsciously, they were repeatedly challenging themselves through real-world
experiences and reframing their life stories to know who they were at their core.
To become a real authentic leader, he/she must first know their authentic self. This
must be followed by practicing one’s values and principles, balance one’s
motivations, building a support team, staying grounded on one’s principles and
values, and empowering others to steer. the continued problems in business
leadership over the past five years have underscored the necessity for a
replacement quite leader within the twenty-first century: the authentic leader.
Author Bill George, a Harvard graduate school professor and therefore the former
chairman and CEO of Medtronic, and his colleagues, conducted the most important
leadership development study ever undertaken. They interviewed 100 plus
business leaders from different racial, religious, national, and socioeconomic
backgrounds to know how leaders become and remain authentic. Their interviews
showed that you simply don't need to change state with any particular
characteristics or traits to steer. you furthermore may don't need to be at the
highest of your organization. Anyone can learn to be an authentic leader. The path
starts with leaders understanding their life stories. Authentic leaders frame their
stories in ways in which allow them to ascertain themselves not as passive
observers but as individuals who learn from their experiences. These leaders make
time to look at their experiences and to reflect on them, and in doing in order that
they grow as individuals and as leaders. Authentic leaders also exerting at
developing self-awareness through persistent and sometimes courageous self-
exploration. Denial is often the best hurdle that leaders face in becoming self-
aware, but authentic leaders invite, and hear, honest feedback. One doesn't need
to change state with any particular characteristics or traits to steer. She also
doesn't need to be at the highest of your organization. Anyone can learn to be an
authentic leader. Authentic Leader may be a new quite leader within the twenty-
first century which will be solution of the continued problems in business
leadership over the past five years have underscored. The journey starts with
leaders understanding their life stories. They also use formal and informal support
networks to assist them stay grounded and lead integrated lives. The writer
strongly argues that getting business results over a sustained period of your time
is that the ultimate mark of authentic leadership. it's going to be possible to drive
short-term outcomes without being authentic, but authentic leadership is that the
only thanks to create long-term results.
PAGE 1

B. What is good and meaningful about this article
This article teaches us the steps you can take to become an authentic leader. The
first step is cultivating deep self-awareness. Interpreting Self-knowledge can help
develop a deeper understanding of yourself. Other ways of acquire self-awareness
are seeking feedback from co-worker’s or those in your networks, reflecting and
journaling on behaviors and motivations regularly, and dealing with a leadership
coach to dig deeper into who you are. The next key step is constructing a cohesive
biography. You can do that with the assistance of a leadership coach or mentor.
This step is critical in finding and integrating one’s identity. A strong identity self-
influences your leadership quality. But the self is constantly evolving. Therefore,
practicing a growth mindset and constantly updating your biography as you learn
and knowledge new things is important. Finally, an enormous a part of evolving as
an authentic leader is to interact deeply in your passions and interests outside of
labor. This helps reinforce and strengthen your identities and values which will
assist you stay faithful yourself at work. In today’s rapidly changing landscape,
technical agility is not any longer enough. Authentic leaders bring more value to
the table with their stronger decision-making and other people skills. They build
more agile organizations because they're better equipped to assist overcome
challenges and improve overall efficacy. While the advantages are enticing,
developing authentic leadership takes time and energy. It needs embarking on a
journey that involves tireless reflection and resilience. And the initiative is summed
up best to: “Know yourself.”
C. How would you change the article to improve
upon it?
At times I have seen leaders emulate some of their role models but come across
lacking conviction. Each of us are differently wired and have our uniqueness and
this is what makes others bond with us. Being natural and sharing your feelings in
an appropriate manner and with empathy can make you extraordinary from the
ordinary. When I think of authentic leaders, I imagine people who have high
integrity - they do what they say they will do when they say they will do it. Many
call this "walking the talk." These leaders are also principled, people trust these
leaders to do the right thing - for the company, for employees and for society. And,
authentic leaders openly respect employees and value their contributions. In other
words, it is not only about them. There are other characteristics I could add like be
a critical thinker, good leaders can foresee potential problems before they happen.
Learn how to concentrate and supply feedback since listening effectively to
employees and customers are necessary to be an efficient leader. Motivate and
PAGE 2

positively influence others, encourage and empower them, and be their network.
Engage in honest, open communication, connect with your team members,
encourage personal and professional growth, keep a positive attitude, teach
employees instead of giving orders, Set clear employee goals and expectations.
Give direct feedback about performance. Ask for feedback on your leadership, be
open to new ideas and Understand your own motivation.
PAGE 3