BMA eBook - Manual / Resource - Page 47
Managing Authenticity
If a leader is playing a
role that isn’t a true
expression of his
authentic self, followers
will sooner or later feel
like they’ve been tricked.
lowers. At a recent retirement celebration, for
example, people expected him to deliver a
rather sober speech concerning the departing
senior executive. Instead, they were treated to
a comic tour de force, which thrilled the retiring executive and stunned Josh’s followers,
none of whom would have guessed their boss
was so funny. Josh’s ability to use humor is an
especially important attribute in the entertainment business, and his reputation as a leader
has benefited accordingly.
Besides possessing self-knowledge and skills
in self-disclosure, great leaders have to be able
to recognize which aspects of their authentic
selves particular groups of followers are looking for. Most great leaders have highly developed social antennae: They use a complex mix
of cognitive and observational skills to recognize what followers are consciously—and unconsciously—signaling to them.
The good news is that while some people
seem to be born with these discernment skills,
others can, in fact, learn them. We have found
that individuals who have had a great deal of
mobility early in their lives possess these skills
to a higher degree than those who have stayed
mostly in one place. It’s no coincidence that
many CEOs start out in sales and that most senior executives in multinational companies
have gone on multiple foreign postings. Exposure to a wide range of experiences during a
manager’s formative years enhances her ability
to read and empathize with different people
and situations.
Experiences outside of an individual’s comfort zone can also sharpen her social awareness. Marks & Spencer’s Jean Tomlin, for example, developed her social skills during her
journey to establish credibility as a black businesswoman operating in an environment
dominated by white males. And Nestlé’s Peter
Brabeck-Letmathe learned much from his
stint in the military at age 17. The living conditions and treatment were barely tolerable,
and several of his fellow soldiers attempted
suicide. Brabeck-Letmathe survived by observing his superior officers very closely; the
better he anticipated their behavior, the easier it was to stay out of their way.
Use Where You Come From
By the time a manager rises to a senior leadership position, he may seem like—and, indeed,
may well be—a very different person than he
harvard business review • december 2005
was at the start of his journey. But despite any
role playing that goes on, the leader’s authenticity is still closely linked to his origins. The
Oxford English Dictionary, for example, defines
“authenticity,” in part, as “of undisputed origin.” As a result, we think it is fair to say that
no leader will ever succeed in establishing his
authenticity unless he can effectively manage
his relationship with his past and his followers’
connections to their roots.
Authentic leaders use their personal histories to establish common ground with their followers. The desire to establish his bona fides
with his employees as a regular, approachable
guy probably explains why Niall FitzGerald, a
former cochairman at Unilever, speaks often
and with insight about his Irish heritage and
the influence of his mother on both his moral
and political worldviews. Similarly, Antony
Burgmans, a current chairman at Unilever, obstinately remains the Dutch countryman—as
demonstrated in his dress, even in his walk—
despite his elevated status. In both cases, these
executives are comfortable displaying something of their origins, in a very different context, in order to connect with their followers.
Pride in one’s roots, however, needs to be
carefully handled. An organization whose CEO
trumpets his heritage may well be intimidating
or offensive to employees—and customers—
who hail from elsewhere. This is one reason
that so many authentic leaders work to stay curious and open to their followers’ origins. We
have worked for many years with a senior executive at a U.S. chemicals company. When he
meets new team members, he always begins
the conversations with the same question: “Tell
me, how did you come to be the kind of guy
you are now?” He has an almost insatiable interest in the complex factors that reveal where
his direct reports come from because he understands that they (and the organization) will be
more likely to succeed if they feel comfortable
with their origins.
It is important for leaders to recognize that
people frame their backgrounds in different
ways and that there are differences among and
within cultures. The salient characteristics that
people use to define themselves include gender, class, race, status, and geography. And
these may be expressed in many ways—
through dress, speech, food, and even in different styles of walking. Given these variables, we
should be cautious about making simple gen-
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