What is the impact of authentic leadership on fostering a positive and inclusive organizational culture?

1 Module 12 Leadership, Management, and Organizational Effectiveness Student’s Name Institution Course Date 2 Leadership, Management, and Organizational Effectiveness Authentic leadership is a leadership pathway that considers being genuine and sincere. It encourages leaders to follow their personal values, beliefs, and ethical principles in the performance of their duties. It is a combination of the way leaders sees themselves as well as their ability to regulate themselves through self-knowledge. Also, authentic leadership does not only come from a leader’s hard work, but also from the followers’ or workers’ reaction and responses to the leadership. It is a two-way practice as leaders influence followers, while followers impact leaders. In today’s environment of maximum importance of trust and credibility, authentic leadership is a key component for creating a successful organization and individual development. Studies have shown the underlying link between authentic leadership and organizational and individual outcomes. Northouse (2021) discovered that authentic leadership is positively connected to job satisfaction, organizational commitment and job performance. It is because these leaders show relatable and problem-solving leadership qualities that are valued by their followers. Also, authentic leaders can promote trust and dedication within their team members, thus creating a better working environment and increased productivity (Northouse, 2021). Hence, authentic leaders are perceived as reliable, credible and inspirational individuals who help to attain positive organizational results. Nonetheless, it is vital to understand some of the elements that could be found in authentic leaders. One of the most commonly missed out element is the fact that being a leader also requires one to be a follower. Williams (2021) explains that to run a business successfully, leaders should focus matters like innovation and overall management, where they should trust the employees in charge of departments and teams by following their lead when they ask for help 3 or make suggestions. This creates an atmosphere or empowerment and allows leaders to focus on strategic and high-level aspects of the business. Also, being a follower helps build empowerment and loyalty (Williams, 2021). Through their trust in a team member, leaders give this individual an opportunity to own up to their responsibilities and make decisions, which empowers a sense of belonging, hence fosters loyalty and commitment. Transparency is also another important thing, as Riggio (2022) notes that a form of hypocrisy occurs when a leader tells his people to do something but he does not live what he says, or telling employees what to do but not why. Authentic leaders should make sure that they are open and honest in their communication and should share information and reason for decision-making with others. Furthermore, they are used to demonstrate ethical practices (TEXT Leadership: Theory and Practice – Chapter 9 Authentic Leadership). Authentic leaders act with integrity, upholding moral principles, and do things right, which makes them a role model for the others. Furthermore, emotional intelligence plays a vital role in authentic leadership. Emotionally intelligent leaders have the deep sense and awareness of their own feelings and those of others, which allows them to control and manage them properly and build powerful interpersonal relationships (Northouse, 2021). They empathize with their employees (followers), understand their needs and concerns, and establish a sense of trust and psychological safety. Authentic leaders possess the emotional sensitivity and regulation to deal with the intricate process of interpersonal dynamics within the organizational environment to maintain genuine and transparent interactions (Northouse, 2021). Therefore, individuals with high emotional competencies demonstrate self-knowledge, self-control, confidence, purposefulness, and compassion. 4 In conclusion, authentic leadership is a powerful approach with potential for gaining success in organizations and at individual levels. Studies show that authentic leadership has been is associated with improved job satisfaction, commitment, and overall performance among organizational members. Leaders with an authentic leadership character evidently possess certain behavioral traits such as being both leader and follower and transparency, and these of course are vital in developing trust, commitment, and a good working environment. Emotional intelligence is another determinant of authentic leadership, making leaders to effectively handle emotions, build trust, and provide a good work environment. 5 References Northouse, P. G. (2021). Chapter 9: Adaptive Leadership in Leadership: Theory and Practice. Sage publications. Riggio, R. E. (2022, March 13). 5 leader behaviors that are guaranteed to de-motivate you. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/cutting-edge- leadership/202203/5-leader-behaviors-are-guaranteed-de-motivate-you TEXT Leadership: Theory and Practice – Chapter 9 Authentic Leadership Williams, B. (2021, May 16). When Leaders Need To Be Followers. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/theyec/2021/03/16/when-leaders-need-to-befollowers/?sh=1831dd0b1b57