Leading Authentically: What It Really Means and Why It Matters

A discussion about what research says about Authentic Leadership and how leaders can practice AL in everyday organizational life.

There’s been a lot of discussion lately about authentic leadership (AL) and how it represents a key part of today’s positive, values-driven approach to leading others. What is AL? Authentic leadership emphasizes leading with self-awareness, an objective approach to analyzing all relevant information before deciding, and relational transparency and an internalized moral perspective that helps make ethical decisions consistently across situations.

But as anyone who’s led people in complex organizations knows, living those principles every day is not easy. Even well-intentioned leaders encounter moments when authenticity collides with organizational realities, cultural expectations, or personal limitations. Is it always wise or even possible to be fully transparent at work? How do navigate a misalignment between what we value and workplace norms? For example, you value collaboration and share credit when projects succeed, yet your work environment values a leader who is decisive and independent rather than inclusive? What if one’s job responsibilities requires doing something that seems at odds with one’s personal values, like approving cost-cutting measures that negatively affect your values of supporting employee well-being?

Indeed, some researchers argue that AL can be overly idealistic and simplistic, overlooking the complex realities of organizational life, or that “appearing authentic” can sometimes become a form of image management (Gardner et al., 2021). They also caution that concept of AL assumes a stable, coherent “true self” that may not exist in every context.

But aspiring to be an authentic leader is worth the effort. There is a large body of research showing that leaders who act with authenticity tend to build trust, engagement, and collaboration on their teams. Their employees feel more valued, supported, and motivated, which boosts both individual and organizational performance (Banks et al., 2016; Gardner et al., 2011; Gill & Caza, 2018; Hoch et al., 2018). When leaders approach authenticity as a practice rather than a performance – a journey, not a destination - they build credibility, resilience, and trust. Authentic leadership is an ongoing process and an aspirational goal, something we strive toward as we try to align our actions with our values, even when it’s hard to do so.

In this video, I sit down to discuss AL with my colleague Dr. Katrina Rodriguez, who has spent more than two decades in higher education as a faculty member, director, and vice president. Together, we explore what authentic leadership means in real life and how it shapes personal growth, how to navigate the tension between our roles and our true selves, and what it actually looks like to lead authentically day to day.

Stay tuned for Part 2, where we’ll dive into how to bring authenticity to your leadership and build stronger, trust-based relationships with your team.

We are very much interested in your comments and feedback about authentic leadership, so please use the space below or email me at drrobbynr@gmail.com.

Thanks for watching.  And work to be your best leader today and every day!

References

Avolio, B. J., & Gardner, W. L. (2005). Authentic leadership development: Getting to the root of positive forms of leadership.The Leadership Quarterly, 16(3), 315–338.

Banks, G. C., McCauley, K. D., Gardner,W. L., & Guler, C. E. (2016). A meta-analytic review of authentic and transformational leadership: A test for redundancy. The Leadership Quarterly, 27, 634–652. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2016.02.006

Gardner, W. L., Karam, E. P., Alvesson, M., & Einola, K. (2021). Authentic leadership theory: The case for and against. The Leadership Quarterly, 32(6), 101495. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2021.101495 ​

Gardner, W. L., Cogliser, C. C., Davis, K. M., & Dickens, M. (2011). Authentic leadership: A review of the literature and research agenda. The Leadership Quarterly, 22, 1120–1145.

Gill, C., & Caza, A. (2018). An investigation of authentic leadership’s individual and group influences on follower responses. Journal of Management, 44, 530–554.

Hoch, J. E., Bommer,W. H., Dulebohn, J. H., &Wu, D. (2018). Do ethical, authentic, and servant leadership explain variance above and beyond transformational leadership? A meta-analysis. Journal of Management, 44, 501–529.

Leroy, H., Anseel, F., Gardner,W. L., & Sels, L. (2015). Authentic leadership, authentic followership, basic need satisfaction, and work role performance: A cross-level study. Journal of Management, 41, 1677–1697.

Lux, A. A., & Lowe, K. B. (2025). Authentic leadership: 20-Year review editorial. Journal of Management & Organization

Walumbwa, F. O., Avolio, B. J., Gardner,W. L.,Wernsing, T. S., & Peterson, S. J. (2008). Authentic leadership: Development and validation of a theory-basedmeasure. Journal of Management, 34, 89–126.