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FOSTERING LEADERSHIP THROUGH COLLABORATION

Maria R. Shirey

Authentic leadership: Foundation of a healthy work environment

by Maria R. Shirey

In times of uncertainty, complexity and change, quality of leadership becomes increasingly important. History is replete with examples of positive leadership that have helped us effectively confront challenges and face the future with confidence, hope, optimism and resiliency. One example of a positive approach to leadership—authentic leadership—is gaining increased attention in today’s dynamic health care environment. Authentic leadership is the foundation of healthy work environments (AACN, 2005) and the glue that holds those environments together (McCauley, 2005).

What is authentic leadership?
Authentic leadership is positive leadership practiced by individuals who are genuine, trustworthy, reliable and believable (George, 2003; Luthans & Avolio, 2003; Shirey, 2006). The evolution of authentic leadership science originated in the early 2000s, with initial work emerging from the fields of business (Luthans & Avolio, 2003; George, 2003) and positive organizational psychology (Seligman & Csikszentmihalayi, 2000).

The organizational psychology movement places great emphasis on the ideas of goodness and positive human potential (Luthans & Avolio, 2003). Research supports the assumption that the positive psychological qualities of leaders—confidence, hope, optimism and resiliency—combined with a highly developed organizational context, result in greater self-awareness and self-regulated positive behaviors of both leaders and followers (Luthans & Avolio, 2003). In essence, the movement focuses on what is right with people and builds on their individual strengths.

Positive leadership styles are those in which leaders develop, stimulate and inspire followers to exceed their own self-interests to achieve a higher purpose (Doran et al., 2004). Individually, positive leadership results in staff and patient satisfaction. Organizationally, the outcome is competitive advantage. Positive leadership styles create lasting value that allows organizations and individuals to thrive over time. Positive leadership styles are transformational, unlike negative leadership styles, which focus either on command and control approaches aimed at maintaining the status quo or disengaged approaches that contribute to organizational demise.

Authentic leaders possess five distinguishing characteristics: purpose, values, heart, relationships and self-discipline (George, 2003; Shirey, 2006).

Purpose—Authentic leaders understand their own purpose and search for meaning along life’s journey. Understanding purpose involves an ongoing process of self-reflection and self-awareness that culminates in better understanding of one’s personal passion. Passion, in turn, requires individuals to internalize the intrinsic worth of their purpose and to “find voice” to express it. Covey (2004) challenges us to find our voice and then inspire others to find theirs.

Values—Authentic leaders exemplify the link between purpose and passion by demonstrating congruence between their beliefs and actions. Behaviors that are consistent with deeply held beliefs and values are evident in authentic leaders regardless of challenges confronting them. Actions taken by authentic leaders are based on doing what is right for their constituents. These leaders “stay the course” and demonstrate ethical behaviors despite living and practicing in a society bombarded by media stories about lapses in ethical leadership. Authentic leaders demonstrate transparency; they speak the truth and are believable and trustworthy. Authentic leadership is contagious, cascading from the very top level of an organization all the way out to the front lines.

Heart—Authentic leaders lead with heart and compassion. They care for themselves and the people they lead. Authentic leaders are able and willing to engage in close, personal relationships that embrace life’s full range of challenges, hardships and difficulties. They invest energy in people and relationships, ultimately producing engaged followers who believe in them.

Followers of authentic leaders are generally motivated to give extra effort to support their leaders and to improve personal and collective performance outcomes. The psychological engagement of employees by authentic leaders is a key mechanism by which healthy work environments are created (Shirey, 2006). Interestingly, employee engagement has been identified in the literature as the key element in reducing chronic stress and burnout in the workplace (Maslach, Schaufeli, & Leiter, 2001).

Relationships—Authentic leaders value relationship building. They establish connections with others through their ability to share life stories, develop trust and intimacy, and cultivate community. These leaders value relationships not to receive rewards, but rather to strengthen the human connection. Instead of using coercion to influence others, authentic leaders model confidence and optimism.

Self-discipline—Authentic leaders practice self-discipline by incorporating balance into their personal and professional lives. Balance is a crucial element that contributes to personal resilience and sustained desirable performance outcomes. Self-discipline enables authentic leaders to be more predictable and act consistently, independent of situations and settings. Self-discipline includes engaging in personal renewal and reflective practices that help a leader become a better person first and a better leader second.

The road to authentic leadership
Becoming an authentic leader is a journey, not a destination. It is unlikely that a person will awaken one morning and announce, “Today, I will become an authentic leader.” Rather, it is a process that occurs over time and requires self-discovery, self-improvement, reflection and renewal. Authentic leadership is attained not through self-proclamation, but by validation from the leader’s followers.

Personal and professional mastery are needed for success as an authentic leader. Also needed is a positive organizational context that supports and encourages this type of leadership. The journey involves a variety of activities that may include reading books, procuring a personal coach, acquiring additional formal education or seeking feedback from others. Whatever steps an individual takes, the literature is clear that the path to authentic leadership is nonlinear and multidimensional and requires openness to change. RNL

Maria R. Shirey, RN, MS, MBA, FACHE, CNAA, BC, is principal consultant, Shirey & Associates, and adjunct associate professor, leadership and management, at the University of Southern Indiana College of Nursing and Health Professions in Evansville, Ind.

References

American Association of Critical-Care Nurses. (2005). AACN standards for establishing healthy work environments: A journey to excellence. Retrieved August 15, 2006.

Covey, S.R. (2004). The 8th habit: From effectiveness to greatness. New York: Free Press.

Doran, D., McCutcheon, A.S., Evans, M.G., MacMillan, K., Hall, L.M., Pringle, D., et al. (2004). Impact of the manager’s span of control on leadership and performance. Retrieved August 8, 2006.

George, B. (2003). Authentic leadership: Rediscovering the secrets to creating lasting value. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Luthans, F., & Avolio, B. (2003). Authentic leadership development. In K.S. Cameron, J.E. Dutton, & R.E. Quinn (Eds.), Positive organizational scholarship (pp. 241-258). San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler.

McCauley, K. (2005). President’s note: All we needed was the glue. AACN News, 22(5), 2.

Maslach, C., Schaufeli, W.B., & Leiter, M.P. (2001). Job burnout. Annual Reviews in Psychology, 52, 397-422.

Seligman, M.E.P., & Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2000). Positive psychology: An introduction. American Psychologist, 55(1), 5-14.

Shirey, M.R. (2006). Authentic leaders creating healthy work environments for nursing practice. American Journal of Critical Care, 15(3), 256-267.