The perils of authentic leadership theory

Einola, Katja; Alvesson, Mats

doi:10.1177/17427150211004059

Cited by 43 publications

(64 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“…One of the huge ironies of the growth in the popularity of the term ‘leader’ over the last 30 years or so, especially considering how frequently it is associated with ostensibly ‘positive’ ideas about organizational life (Einola & Alvesson, 2021), is that it has occurred at a time when there has been a massive deterioration in pay, job security and working conditions for many ordinary workers. During the same period, furthermore, the pay of senior executives (i.e.…”

Section: The Power Effects Of ‘Leader’ At Workmentioning

confidence: 99%

‘Leadership’ as a Project: Neoliberalism and the Proliferation of ‘Leaders’

Learmonth

Morrell

2021

Organization Theory

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It is increasingly common for anyone with formal, hierarchical status at work to be called a ‘leader’. Though widespread, this relatively recent change in day-to-day discourse is largely passing by unnoticed. We argue that using ‘leader’ in this way is not simply fashion or empty rhetoric; rather it can be understood in relation to neoliberalism. We argue that the language of ‘leadership’ represents a particularly subtle but powerful opportunity for the pursuit of individual elite interests to be disguised so that it looks as if it is for the benefit of all. This opportunity has arisen because using ‘leader’ has tangible effects that reinforce implied values and assumptions about human relationships at work. In terms of implied values, the label ‘leader’ is celebratory and predisposes us to see elites in overly positive ways. In terms of implied assumptions, referring to executives as ‘leaders’ draws a veil over the structured antagonism at the heart of the employment relationship and wider sources of inequality by celebrating market values. Making ‘leadership’ recognizable as a political project is not intended primarily to suggest intentionality, but to help challenge representational practices that are becoming dominant. ‘Project-ing’ leadership also helps us to emphasize the risks inherent in taking this label for granted; which, we argue, is an important contribution because the language of leadership is increasingly used but is hardly questioned within much contemporary organizational life as well as organization theory.

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Section: The Power Effects Of ‘Leader’ At Workmentioning

confidence: 99%

‘Leadership’ as a Project: Neoliberalism and the Proliferation of ‘Leaders’

Learmonth

Morrell

2021

Organization Theory

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“…True leaders are those who prefer moral values and human relations over economic purpose [64]. Authentic leadership is a growing field of leadership research that has received considerable attention from contemporary scholars in recent times [2,65,66].…”

Section: Hypothesis 1 (H1) Csr Is Positively Related To Innovative Work Behaviormentioning

confidence: 99%

Fostering Workplace Innovation through CSR and Authentic Leadership: Evidence from SME Sector

et al. 2021

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The cut-throat situation of competitiveness in almost every business sector, followed by globalization, shortened product life cycles, and rapid technological changes have raised the importance of innovation to overrun the rivals. Scholars have established that appropriate leadership style is a key enabler for organizational success. However, it is not clear in existing literature how the concept of authentic leadership is related to innovative work behavior (IWB). Likewise, the role of corporate social responsibility (CSR) to induce IWB is also vague in current literature. Thus, the basic purpose of the current study was to test the relationship of CSR and IWB with the mediating effect of authentic leadership. The proposed model was tested in the small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) sector of China. The data were collected through a questionnaire that was distributed among different respondents of the current survey. The data were obtained from a dyad of supervisor and subordinate serving in different SMEs in Wuhan city of China. The study used the structural equation modeling (SEM) technique to validate different hypotheses. The empirical results confirm that CSR positively relates to IWB while authentic leadership partially mediates this relationship. The findings of the current survey will be helpful for policymakers to recognize employees as a source of innovation through CSR and authentic leadership.

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“…As the singer-songwriter, Bruce Springsteen, cautions in his song, Brilliant Disguise, “God have mercy on the man who doubts what he’s sure of” (Brucespringsteen.net, 2021). When Einola and Alvesson (2021) try to convince you to ignore your observations and perhaps personal strivings to lead authentically, and instead conclude that the apparent benefits of authentic leadership are not only an illusion, but a distraction from its’ hidden dangers, we assert that they are gaslighting you by trying to make you doubt what you’re “sure of.” And as the research on gaslighting documents, this can indeed be perilous (Abramson, 2014). Below we elaborate on why we see their arguments as gaslighting and how they attempt to pull it off.…”

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confidence: 97%

“…The central thesis that Einola and Alvesson (2021) advance is that ALT “is not only wrong in a harmless manner, but it may be outright perilous to leadership scholars, scholarship, and those who believe in it” (p. 483). That’s quite an assertion.…”

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confidence: 99%

“…In fact, one of the strengths of the theory is that practitioners see value in it, which we see as a good thing given the frequent lament in the management discipline about the scholar-practitioner divide (Latham, 2019; Tourish, 2019). But, what Einola and Alvesson (2021) seem to be saying – implicitly, if not explicitly – is, “Don’t believe your senses. Don’t have confidence in your personal experiences.…”

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The gaslighting of authentic leadership

Gardner

McCauley

2022

Leadership

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In a recent critique of authentic leadership theory, Einola and Alvesson (2021) assert that the theory “is not only wrong in a harmless way, but it may be outright perilous to leadership scholars, scholarship, and those who believe in it” (p. 483). They describe four “perils” of authentic leadership theory to support their arguments; in this response paper, we address each “peril”. Unfortunately, their criticism is based, in part, on misleading and inaccurate information about authentic leadership theory, which we identify and correct in this article. We contend that their arguments are at odds with the experiences of authentic leadership that both practitioners and scholars have personally encountered. In essence, through their critique, Einola and Alvesson are engaging in the practice of gaslighting, as they try to convince others to doubt their perceptions of and experiences with authentic leadership, along with the extensive empirical support that has accumulated. Further, Einola and Alvesson suggest that encouraging leaders to strive to be authentic by enhancing their self-awareness, processing positive and negative self-relevant information in a balanced fashion, establishing open and transparent relationships with followers, and living by their core values, is dangerous. We ask readers to consider the merits of their criticism, as well as our alternative, more positive perspective of authentic leadership theory. We suspect that, for many, such introspection will yield a realization that Einola and Alvesson are gaslighting them into questioning their own reality about what it means to lead with authenticity.

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The perils of authentic leadership theory

Cited by 43 publications

References 19 publications

‘Leadership’ as a Project: Neoliberalism and the Proliferation of ‘Leaders’

‘Leadership’ as a Project: Neoliberalism and the Proliferation of ‘Leaders’

Fostering Workplace Innovation through CSR and Authentic Leadership: Evidence from SME Sector

The gaslighting of authentic leadership

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