This can be seen not only in business with enigmatic leaders like Apple's Steve Jobs (
st standards. They are unrelenting in their quest for success. Their self-belief is unshakable. Failures are used as opportunities to learn. Success is inevitable – the only question is when.
So perhaps there is something to be learned from seeing past what might seem like strange personalities and assessing our potential leaders instead for intelligence, a flexibility in style and an unshakable self-belief and ambition. It may be that these characteristics are more important to success as a leader that meeting any definition of "normal".
- Irish/Northern Irish substantially privately owned, managed and controlled companies (incorporated in either the Republic of Ireland or Northern Ireland)
- Turnover in excess of €5million (STG£4 million)
- Established for at least 5 years
- Demonstration of superior financial results over past 3 years (in relation to their peers)
Copyright hbr.org[/caption]
Reading the article by Ibarra, however, I was reminded of the old joke that scientists like to tell. It goes like this.
Late at night, a police officer sees an intoxicated man crawling around on his hands and knees under a streetlight. The drunk man tells the officer he’s looking for his wallet. When the officer asks if he’s sure this is where he dropped the wallet, the man replies that he thinks he more likely dropped it across the street. Then why are you looking over here? the officer asks. Because the light’s better here, explains the man.
The point is that we sometimes search for answers where the light is better rather than where the truth is more likely to lie. I believe this to be the case when it comes to Authenticity and Authentic Leadership.
Authenticity is about 'Being' rather than 'Doing'. In other words, the search for authenticity is philosophical, rather than psychological.
However, we seem to search for authenticity through the lens of organisational behaviour. Is this because "the light is better here". Perhaps as leaders we need to return to philosophy. Fundamentally, my disagreement with the article is the emphasis on Doing before Being. This is at the very heart of the issue and is not surprising as modern western society is very focussed on Having and Doing and less on Being. Authenticity is fundamentally a way of being. Ibarra treats authenticity as Doing, something one does.The premise that Ibarra puts forward is that we should carefully choose our leadership actions, and act as chameleons focussing, not on our internal values, but instead constantly reacting to the external environment. However, for me, the chameleon metaphor sums up rather succinctly the very essence of inauthenticity. The chameleon is always reacting to the external world. It epitomises the outer-directed leader, whose identity is so much a reaction to others that his or her own being is emptied.Having a clear sense of who you are is the best point to start a leadership journey.
I don't believe that any advocate of authentic leadership would suggest that we are fixed entities and remain so. On the contrary, our authenticity ultimately manifests itself in the authentic choices we make as leaders; choices based on understanding ourselves, our values, our strengths and our weaknesses. If we fail to start from a basis of authenticity then how likely is it that the leadership choices we make will be authentic. I am concerned then when I see an article that seems to be taking a backwards step by placing an emphasis on the rational roots of leadership enquiry; leadership as merely a set of qualities, behaviours, competencies which together go to make up "leadership". Authentic Leadership is a break away from early management theory, the search for certainty and predictability, and constitutes a move towards leadership as a way of being. This is at the heart (pardon the pun) of authentic leadership.Have we learned nothing from the economic crash? Is back to business as usual? Are we going to settle for, at best, a thin veneer of authenticity or will we encourage the new leaders to stop trying to Act Authentic and start Being Authentic?
Billy Byrne works as an executive coach and HR consultant and has worked with a range of levels, from graduates to senior leaders. His experience includes a mix of both business level and corporate activity, including the the design and implementation of Organisational Development interventions and major change programmes. He has played a key role in the development of HR Strategy at ESB. Billy is a part of the Executive Coaching Panel at IMI. Read more about the IMI Diploma in Executive Coaching [post_title] => Authenticity - Solid or Veneer? [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => open [ping_status] => open [post_password] => [post_name] => authenticity-solid-veneer [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2020-05-11 20:58:11 [post_modified_gmt] => 2020-05-11 20:58:11 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://www.imi.ie/?p=9292 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) [4] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 10454 [post_author] => 52 [post_date] => 2015-06-24 13:57:05 [post_date_gmt] => 2015-06-24 13:57:05 [post_content] =>
Copyright: www.salary.com
Now that the economy is improving, businesses are feeling under a lot of pressure to perform with less resources.
There’s a fear of taking on too many people in case things dis-improve again. And those we do take on have some learning to do. We’re afraid to turn away work in case more doesn’t come along so we decide we’ll manage it anyway even though our resources are stretched to their limit. This can put a lot of strain on you as manager. Not only do you have to plan the strategy, cope with the budgets, connect with the customers, you also have to manage and lead limited resources.So, how are you managing?
Obviously knowing how to do all of these things is going to be critical but you also need to make sure you’re not spending all your time in the office. Taking time for yourself during this phase will be essential. Time to have fun, get fit, keep healthy. There is a lot of evidence to show that we operate better when we sleep soundly, exercise enough, eat healthily. Think back to previous managers you’ve had. If you’ve ever had a manager who is snappy, too busy to listen to you, and dismissive of problems you bring to him or her, you’ll know how it feels. When you fly, the safety demonstration always tells you that if there’s a sudden drop in cabin pressure, an oxygen mask will drop down in front of you – you’re advised to put your own mask on first before you help anyone else. This applies equally when you’re managing others.
Copyright: www.virginamerica.com
Managers who score high on emotional intelligence are good at three core things: 1. Interpersonal skills 2. Personal management skills 3. Emotional skills. They understand their feelings and emotions, know how they feel at any given time and why. They are also super aware of the effect those feelings have on the way they operate. They are cognisant of the way their feelings affect others, and understand how their teams and their colleagues feel in different circumstances which helps relationships. They are also good at managing themselves – their time, health, well-being and their energy.So how about you?
When did you last stop running on that treadmill long enough to realise you’re in constant fire-fighting mode? Do you take stock regularly to see where your energy levels are at? One useful strategy is to put a regular weekly calendar entry for a meeting with yourself. Even a half hour per week to see how you’re doing, check to see if you’re doing the planning work that will benefit you and the company long-term and not just doing the day-to-day fire-fighting. Did you manage to get out of the office at least twice this week by 6.00? Are you sleeping soundly and exercising at least twice during the week? Are you stepping for lunch every day – even for 20 minutes and getting away from your desk? If you are answering “no” to these questions – its time to make some changes.Start managing yourself before you try to manage anything else.
Lynda Byron is is an accomplished Leadership Development Specialist. Most of her time is spent helping organisations to identify and develop their key talent through innovative and challenging development programmes, as well as individual coaching. Lynda is the Programme Director for the IMI Diploma in Management. [post_title] => Are YOU managing you? [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => open [ping_status] => open [post_password] => [post_name] => managing [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2020-05-11 20:49:50 [post_modified_gmt] => 2020-05-11 20:49:50 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://www.imi.ie/?p=10454 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) )
Tanya Sheehan
14th Mar 2019
Tanya Sheehan is an IMI associate on the IMI Diploma in Organisational Development & Transformation.
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Are YOU managing you?
Beat the Bots with Soft Skills
Developments in automation and artificial intelligence have been predicted to mark the biggest shift in work since the shift from agriculture to manufacturing.
Our world of work is rapidly evolving. Developments in automation and artificial intelligence have been predicted to mark the biggest shift in work since the shift from agriculture to manufacturing. It will be critical for organisations to prepare for “The 4th Industrial Revolution”, as they anticipate future skills requirements.
These developments indicate extensive change across industries. The changing needs of the workplace mean a far greater emphasis on cultivating a workforce with a substantial soft skills capability. Soft skills such as communication, creativity, emotional intelligence, initiative, and resilience are abilities that artificial intelligence will have difficulty replicating.
The path to opportunity, for organisations and individuals alike, is changing. Businesses are fighting to stay ahead of the curve, to hold onto their best talent and to fill key positions. Individuals are conscious of staying relevant and employable in the age of automation.
The LinkedIn 2018 Workplace Learning Report surveyed 4,000 people; a combination of talent development professionals, employees, managers and executives. All agreed – the number one priority for talent development in 2018 is training for soft skills. In the age of automation, maintaining technical fluency across roles will be critical, but the pace of change is fuelling demand for adaptable, critical thinkers, communicators, and leaders.
As technology accelerates, soft skills are in high demand to fuel people and business growth.
“Workers of the future will spend more time on activities that machines are less capable of, such as managing people, applying expertise, and communicating with others. The skills and capabilities required will also shift, requiring more social and emotional skills and more advanced cognitive capabilities, such as logical reasoning and creativity.” McKinsey & Company.
Tanya Sheehan is an IMI associate on the IMI Diploma in Organisational Development & Transformation. Tanya is a Business Psychologist, certified trainer and accredited coach who works in the technology, pharmaceutical and finance industries.
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