Often in society the narcissist and the aggressive are
rewarded. Much has been written in management literature about the prevalence
of narcissistic qualities in leadership roles. Let’s face it, from the first
moment we learn to interact with others, as children, we learn there is a
pecking order, that the strong succeed, and that you must fight to be on top.
The corporate world is full of examples that highlight the validity that these ‘truisms’
continue into adulthood and society in general. These tendencies extend into the
way in which individuals maintain their position as much as how they obtain them.
Examples include:
- Surrounding themselves with sycophants who praise and applaud the leader, and who will sing all is good while the ship is sinking so as to remain onside with the leader, until there is another leader with more relevance or power
- Making demands and issuing orders without caring what the impact is on the person or group, perhaps relying on bullying tactics to get what they want when meeting opposition, and often with the underlying assumption that their opinion counts more than fact-based research
- Blaming others for things that have gone wrong, never stopping to question their own contribution to poor outcomes or a crisis situation, even changing the truth to divert attention from themselves, or worse still onto someone else
- Sitting in the large chair behind the large desk while visitors to their office are offered a small, uncomfortable chair ensuring the visitor physically must look up to the leader
- Reaping praise and applause for a job well done without considering and recognising those who actually made the achievement possible
Unfortunately examples of such behaviours abound.
What interests me is the authentic
leader. I have been observing one person demonstrating authentic leadership
while faced with significant challenges, and it is inspiring. Attributes of the
authentic leader include:
- Retaining responsibility and accountability without blaming or sniping at others
- Managing their own emotional response throughout a crisis, and providing a calming presence for others
- Actively seeking the best possible outcome for all involved
- Remaining true to their values regardless of pressure from others, or the behaviours exhibited in their direction by others
- Maintaining their integrity, being honest and truthful, and calling on others in a nonjudgmental manner to do the same
- Modelling resilience and being a resource for themselves, maintaining their own sense of self and self-respect
- Functioning from a place of personal power, being consistently and actively assertive, present, taking appropriate action, and being authentic and requiring that of others
It is unfortunately rare, and wonderful, when such examples
are manifest in leaders. I appreciate being around such individuals because it
is inspiring to me, and provides me with impetus to examine how I am and check
in to determine if I am performing as I would wish to be noticed.
