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We all have the capacity to inspire and empower others. But we must
first be willing to devote ourselves to our personal growth and
development as leaders.
Discovering Your
Authentic Leadership
by Bill George, Peter Sims, Andrew N. McLean, and
Diana Mayer
COPYRIGHT © 2007 HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL PUBLISHING CORPORATION. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. During the past 50 years, leadership scholars Over the past five years, people have devel-
have conducted more than 1,000 studies in an oped a deep distrust of leaders. It is increas-
attempt to determine the definitive styles, ingly evident that we need a new kind of busi-
characteristics, or personality traits of great ness leader in the twenty-first century. In 2003,
leaders. None of these studies has produced a Bill George’s book, Authentic Leadership: Redis-
clear profile of the ideal leader. Thank good- covering the Secrets to Creating Lasting Value,
ness. If scholars had produced a cookie-cutter challenged a new generation to lead authenti-
leadership style, individuals would be forever cally. Authentic leaders demonstrate a passion
trying to imitate it. They would make them- for their purpose, practice their values consis-
selves into personae, not people, and others tently, and lead with their hearts as well as
would see through them immediately. their heads. They establish long-term, mean-
ingful relationships and have the self-discipline
No one can be authentic by trying to imitate to get results. They know who they are.
someone else. You can learn from others’ expe-
riences, but there is no way you can be success- Many readers of Authentic Leadership, in-
ful when you are trying to be like them. People cluding several CEOs, indicated that they had a
trust you when you are genuine and authentic, tremendous desire to become authentic lead-
not a replica of someone else. Amgen CEO and ers and wanted to know how. As a result, our
president Kevin Sharer, who gained priceless research team set out to answer the question,
experience working as Jack Welch’s assistant in “How can people become and remain authen-
the 1980s, saw the downside of GE’s cult of per- tic leaders?” We interviewed 125 leaders to
sonality in those days. “Everyone wanted to be learn how they developed their leadership abil-
like Jack,” he explains. “Leadership has many ities. These interviews constitute the largest in-
voices. You need to be who you are, not try to depth study of leadership development ever
emulate somebody else.” undertaken. Our interviewees discussed openly
harvard business review • hbr.org • february 2007 page 1
Purchased by Ken Hampian (kchampian@charter.net) on March 15, 2013
