Leadership discussion - Article Example

Teacher What is authentic leadership? Authentic leadership is a leadership that is reflective on an individual’s values and therefore considered as a genuine leadership. It is the kind of leadership where the leader relates to subordinates his or her value system. It is also a leadership that is driven more by intrinsic motivations such as wanting other people to grow and wanting to make a difference in other people’s lives. It seeks to develop competence and inspiration among its followers as a basis of its leadership rather than to develop loyalty.

What are the motivations of an authentic leader? To become an authentic leader, it is important that one should balance one’s extrinsic and intrinsic motivation to lead. Intrinsic motivation is the sense of having a meaning in one’s life and how one would frame it. This would include personal growth, helping other people to develop, taking on social causes and making a difference in this world. Extrinsic motivation on the other hand is about measuring one’s success by the parameters of outside world’s standards.

This includes promotions, recognition and financial rewards. Subordinates tend to follow a leader more who is motivated by intrinsic factors rather by extrinsic factors. How does authentic leaders make their subordinates follow them? Authentic leadership does require loyalty for their subordinates to follow them. Rather, they empower and inspire their subordinates to become the best they can be, to step up during difficult time and become leaders themselves. The intrinsic motivation of an authentic leader also makes its subordinates to follow them.