Toward Authentic Leadership Crisis Prevention: Identification of barriers to relational authenticity is self-awareness.

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Dissertation DefenseDissertation Defense
Toward Authentic Leadership Crisis Prevention:
Identification of barriers
to relational authenticity
in self-awareness
Aymee Coget
December 10th
, 2008

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Agenda
Purpose of the Study
Findings
Implications

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Purpose of the Study
To explore the reason for crisis during the
production of a television pilot
SustainableSustainable
andand
VeritableVeritable
PerformancePerformance

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Life
Experiences
Confidence
Hope
Optimism
Resiliency
Positive
Psychological
Capacities
Vision
Strategy
Culture
Highly Developed
Organization
Positive
Organizational
Context
Self-
Awareness
Self-
Regulation
Behaviors
Authentic
Leadership
•Confident
•Hopeful
•Optimistic
•Resilient
•Transparent
•Moral/Ethical
•Future-Oriented
•Associate
Building
Trigger Events/
Challenges
Positive Self-Development
(How my context is framed
and shaped)
(How I am supported)
(Where I come from)
(Who I am)
(What I’m experiencing)
(How I develop
and behave)
(What I can become:
true to myself
and others)
Family influences and role models
Early life challenges
Educational and work experiences
‘‘Self-Based Leadership Model’Self-Based Leadership Model’
Authentic Leadership Development Model

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Findings
1) More evidence to support authenticity as a construct in
relation to the role of the self in an authentic leader
2) Self-based leadership models: values, authentic self, & self-
awareness
3) Identification of barriers to authenticity that are most likely
to occur during balanced processing and would impact
relational authenticity
4) Understanding that a personal experience of the barriers to
authenticity most likely will result in an authentic leadership
crisis
5) A unique research design proposed to encapsulate the
multidimensionality of the authenticity construct
6) A qualitative comparison of the following assessments:
Authentic Leadership & Positive Psychological Capital

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Findings
1) More evidence for authenticity as a construct in the role of the self in authenticity
1. Authenticity is a construct
2. It is still in development
3. It needs to be understood and studied as a
process - levels of authenticity
4. Authenticity can be achieved if the barriers to its
actualization can be overcome
5. Authenticity is a personal, transpersonal/
spiritual, social, & cultural experience

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Findings 2) Put forth 3 self-based models: values, the authentic self,
and self- awareness during an authentic leadership episode
Self Based Models of Leadership
Owning and Acting
All values model
personal, feminine, & masculine
Authentic self model
experiences, thoughts regarding identity, emotions, & beliefs
Self-awareness model
motives, emotions, cognitions regarding identity, strengths, unique
talents, goals, knowledge, capabilities, purpose & desires

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Findings
OWNING ACTING
All Values Model All Values Model
Authentic Self Model Authentic Self Model
Self Awareness Model Self Awareness Model
All Values Model
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All Value s Mode l
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Authentic Self Model
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Authentic Self Model
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S e lf Aware ne ss Mode l
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Self-Awareness Model
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KEY: inner to outer
All Values Model
personal, feminine, &
masculine
Authentic Self Model
experiences, thoughts
regarding identity,
emotions, & beliefs
Self-Awareness Model
motives, emotions,
cognitions regarding
identity, strengths,
unique talents, goals,
knowledge,
capabilities, purpose &
desires

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30 of 48 barriers were experienced in a 3 month leadership episode. I condensed the 30 barriers30 of 48 barriers were experienced in a 3 month leadership episode. I condensed the 30 barriers
into 13 for the purpose of easy measurement in the future….into 13 for the purpose of easy measurement in the future….
Self –Based Models Barrier to relational authenticity
Values 1: Leaders who are outer- directed or who associate themselves with the
‘good woman’ stereotype are likely to experience pseudo or inauthenticity.
Values 2: Leaders who express feminine values, which are deemed inappropriate in
their contextual situational agreement with the followers, are likely to
experience pseudo or inauthenticity.
Values 3: A female authentic leader who communicates based on masculine values
and is in a context where it is not accepted by followers representative of the
dominant patriarchal culture is likely to experience pseudo or inauthenticity.
Authentic self 4: Leaders who suppress thoughts, emotions, and opinions consequently
experience a loss of voice, are likely to experience pseudo or inauthenticity.
Authentic self 5: Leaders who believe that if they act on their own individual needs and
desires, their existing relationships will be threatened are likely to experience
pseudo or inauthenticity.
Authentic self 6: Leaders who need to win the acceptance of followers are likely to
experience pseudo or inauthenticity.
Authentic self 7: Leaders who are high self-monitors are likely to suppress their authenticity
or true self to gain acceptance of followers therefore they are likely to
experience pseudo or inauthenticity.
Findings 3) 13 barriers to authenticity that are most likely to occur
during balanced processing and that would impact relational authenticity

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Authentic self 8: Leaders who do not express every single belief to the followers
could be leading the followers to have a misperception of the leader
hence are likely to experience pseudo or inauthenticity.
Self-awareness 9: Leaders who overemphasizes connectedness and care giving are
likely to experience pseudo or inauthenticity.
Self-awareness 10: Leaders who seek the approval of the followers by having an
overemphasis on connectedness and believes their own needs and
desires would negatively impact their relationship with followers are
likely to experience pseudo or inauthenticity.
Self-awareness 11: Leaders who employ multiples selves to adapt to varying social
roles and contexts could create misperceptions from the followers are
likely to experience pseudo or inauthenticity.
Self-awareness 12: Leaders who self-judge in regard to meeting outside expectations
could lead to misperceptions of the leader’s true self are likely to
experience pseudo or inauthenticity.
Self-awareness 13: Leaders who create misperceptions from the followers in order to
uphold a contextual situational agreement are likely to experience
pseudo or inauthenticity.
Findings 3)13 barriers to authenticity that are most likely to occur
during balanced processing and that would impact relational authenticity

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Personal Responsibility
Supported by
Fragile Self-Esteem
Supported by
Secure Self-Esteem
Failure of Executive
Authenticity :
(Moral Deterioration)
Tragedy of Executive
Authenticity :
(Moral Disengagement)
Crisis of Executive
Authenticity :
(Moral Paralysis)
Success of Executive
Authenticity :
(Moral Creativity)
Sourceof
Anxiety
Sourceof
Confidence
OrganizationalResponsibility
Findings4) Understanding that a personal experience of the barriers to
authenticity most likely will result in an authentic leadership crisis

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Indicators of Crisis of Authenticity (Novicevic et al., 2006)
 Perfectionism
 Micromanaging the workforce
 Ignoring criticism
 Delegating responsibility with strings attached
 Providing no feedback to the workforce
 Arrogance of leaders cause them to be insensitive, distrustful,
intimidating & blame others for problems
 Narrow inner circle of trust that includes only those individuals who
follow unconditionally
Findings4) Understanding that a personal experience of the barriers to
authenticity most likely will result in an authentic leadership crisis

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Findings 5) A unique research design proposed to encapsulate the
multidimensionality of the authenticity construct
multilevel, multiple mixed methodsmultilevel, multiple mixed methods
4 Levels of Research4 Levels of Research
Self Analysis – 1 primary participant
(archival data used to determine owning and acting self-based models)
Secondary participant analysis – 2 secondary participants
(structured response request verifying self-analysis)
Group Discussion – 3 tertiary participants
(naturalistic inquiry, thematic analysis)
Assessments – All 6 participants
(Authentic Leadership Questionnaire & Positive Psychological Capital)

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Findings6) A qualitative comparison for assessments of the
Authentic Leadership Questionnaire and Positive Psychological Capital
Authentic Leadership Questionnaire ComponentsAuthentic Leadership Questionnaire Components
Self-awareness: the demonstration and understanding of how individuals derive
meaning in the world and how that process impacts the way they view themselves over
time.
Relational transparency: individuals presenting their authentic self (as opposed to a
fake or distorted self) to others.
Internalized moral processing: an internalized and integrated form of self-
regulation. This self regulation is guided by moral standards and values versus group,
organizational, and societal pressures. It results in decision making and behavior that
is in accord with internalized values.
Balanced processing: leaders who show that they objectively analyze all relevant
data before coming to a decision. According to Gardner et al. (2005), leaders high in
balance processing seek views that challenge their deeply held positions.

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PRIMARY PARTICIPANTPRIMARY PARTICIPANT
SCORED LOWSCORED LOW
ON BALANCED PROCESSINGON BALANCED PROCESSING
WHICHWHICH
ILLUMINTED THE PRESENCE &ILLUMINTED THE PRESENCE &
TYPE OF BARRIERS THAT LEADTYPE OF BARRIERS THAT LEAD
TOTO
AUTHENTIC LEADERSHP CRISISAUTHENTIC LEADERSHP CRISIS
Findings6) A qualitative comparison of for assessments of
Authentic Leadership Questionnaire and Positive Psychological Capital

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Findings6) A qualitative comparison of for assessments of Authentic
Leadership Questionnaire and Positive Psychological Capital
Positive Psychological Capital ComponentsPositive Psychological Capital Components
Self-efficacy: having confidence to take on and put in the necessary effort
to succeed at challenging tasks
Optimism: making a positive attribution about succeeding now and in the
future
Hope: persevering toward goals and, when necessary, redirecting paths to
goals in order to succeed
Resilience: when beset by problems and adversity, sustaining and
bouncing back and even beyond to attain success

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Findings6) A qualitative comparison of self- awareness and
transparency components in the Authentic Leadership Questionnaire
PRIMARY PARTICIPANTPRIMARY PARTICIPANT
SCORED LOWSCORED LOW
ON RESILIENCYON RESILIENCY
WHICHWHICH
WILL LEAD TOWILL LEAD TO
AUTHENTIC LEADERSHIP CRISISAUTHENTIC LEADERSHIP CRISIS
*NOTE*
Although a leader may maintain high confidence,
an authentic leadership crisis is still plausible

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Implications
RESEARCH - 43 researchable propositions for:
1. Self-awareness
2. Authenticity
3. Relational authenticity
4. Authentic leadership crisis
5. Authenticity methodology
PRACTICE - Introduction of an authentic leadership
development exercise in which the leader builds self-
based models of their self-awareness to understand
themselves & how they relate authentically with others.

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