Courage a semblance of authenticity?

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To discuss the essence of authenticity, insights from early first-century nobles such as Marcus Aurelius, memorialized and unforgotten for the recordings of his Meditations, in which Adler (1952) credits his sayings in connection with what it means to be courageous, will be unveiled. During these early points in history, as a civil leader, the Stoic suggests that being the head of state often entails carrying a burden to bring about influence. As a leader of the Roman nation, he indicates that leadership is frequently full of challenges and obligations. Those challenges or opportunities for improvement are often strenuous and daunting, but the early Stoics reiterate that they are not insurmountable. What can the early first-century ascetics teach us today about courage in our leadership roles?

In a recent article in the April issue of Nurse Leader, Carrega and Rouse (2025) reveal authenticity in a leadership role in which they discuss plainly methods and strategies for improving workplace culture. Ways to strengthen workplace culture are to allow for and foster a speak-up environment, departmental partnering to make decisions involving all staff, recognizing wins and celebrating good work, effective daily staffing ratios, and leadership that approaches their organization from a position of authentic influence. One of the methods to improve workplace culture is to have leaders behave authentically or, better, just be themselves.

When authentic influence and behaviors are acted out, they manifest through certain habits and etiquette. One does not need to be in a formal position to behave authentically, but must possess social and peer influence. However, a precursor to authenticity and behavior types is self-awareness or being up to speed on emotional intelligence.

A broad definition from professors and scholars in the leadership literature underlines emotional intelligence as the capacity to be in tune with one's feelings or the current psychological state of other individuals to escort and aid their thought processes and affairs (Bass, 2008a). Nurse writers, such as Buechner Baugh and Gosselin (2025), also cast light upon emotional intelligence as part of being an authentic person of leadership that involves the continuous habit of listening to others with the intent to learn and help, practicing the idea of seeing oneself in the other person's shoes, and being in the moment, or being capable of feeling what is going on in certain situations which all are part of training for emotional intelligence.

Furthermore, being emotionally intelligent involves positive thought and speech, being able to relate to others through empathetic observance, and seeking to resolve disruptive situations when they occur (Bass, 2008a). Courage to be authentic takes practice, but when performed well, the leader who exemplifies courageous behavior to make changes will take accountability and responsibility for their environment of operations despite being open and vulnerable, take calculated risks despite unknown environmental and organizational hazards, and be willing to accept undesirable consequences to their personal situation and circumstance (Bass, 2008b).

References:

Adler, Mortimer J. (1952). Courage. In The Great Ideas: A Syntopicon of Great Books of the Western World (Vol. 1, pp. 252–267). Encyclopedia Britannica.

Bass, B. M. (2008a). Traits of Leadership (1970-2006). In The Bass Handbook of Leadership: Theory, Research, & Managerial Applications (4th ed., pp. 103–135). essay, Simon & Schuster.

Bass, B. M. (2008b). Ethics and Leadership. In The Bass Handbook of Leadership: Theory, Research, & Managerial Applications (4th ed., pp. 199–238). essay, Simon & Schuster.

Buechner Baugh, A., & Gosselin, T. (2025). Build your emotional intelligence. American Nurse Journal, 20(04), 40–43. https://doi.org/10.51256/anj042540

Carrega, J., & Rouse, M. (2025). Impact of a self-care intervention program on Clinician Health and well-being. Nurse Leader, 23(2), 209–212. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mnl.2024.08.005

Authenticity: Frame of Mind?

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How do we untangle inauthenticity? Does the fruit of being authentic produce authenticity in others? The question will be addressed later, but first, let us extract a thought from the early third century. According to scholars, Augustine of Hippo, a son born to an agnostic father and a pious Christian mother, is known for the saying, "So material a difference does it make, not what ills are suffered, but what kind of man suffers them" (Dods, 1971, p. 133). What can be extracted from the saying that is applicable today in the context of leadership for refining those in positions of organizational influence?

When leaders encounter difficult situations, those situations offer an opportunity to uncover what character underlies their default way of performing, but it rarely improves it. In other words, adversity reveals weaknesses to strengthen one's character. Leaders can, however, remain authentic as they encounter challenges and learn to adapt, grow, and benefit from adverse experiences, thereby sharpening their ability to influence others. Staying authentic is difficult, but with routine application, untangling inauthenticity can be achievable. How is it done?

When leaders operate from a position of authentic behavior, scholars note that these behaviors manifest as truth-tellers, avoiding deceitfulness to themselves and others (Bass, 2008, p. 223). Next, authentic leaders are unashamedly open to admitting errors when needed, taking responsibility for faults and mistakes. Finally, although imperfectly, they are astute and aware of situational dissatisfiers that can affect their mood and practice self-regulation. Ultimately, staying true to personal values is the core concept of authentic leadership (Leroy et al., 2012).

It is helpful to reflect on and appreciate the wisdom recorded through the centuries by those who were enlightened before us. Remembering that adversity often reveals what we are made of, and rarely sharpens one's character, while most often opening our eyes to areas that need improvement. Those in positions of influence can take heart and not fret, knowing that a key component of effectual influence involves authenticity. When authenticity is vibrant, others will demonstrate the exact likeness as they perceive examples of authentic behavior. Individuals in roles of leadership can daily practice habits of being honest with themselves and others, practice habits of admitting mistakes when they occur and learn from them collectively, practice self-control during situations that threaten one's bearings and tendency to express irritation, and finally, stay true to core beliefs, values, and convictions held at the root of one's person.

References:

Bass, B. M. (2008). Ethics & Leadership. In The Bass Handbook of Leadership: Theory, Research, & Managerial Applications (4th ed., pp. 199-238). Essay, Simon & Schuster.

Dods, M. (1971). The City of God. In Great Books of the Western World (Vol. 18, pp. 129–620). Encyclopedia Britannica.

Leroy, H., Anseel, F., Gardner, W. L., & Sels, L. (2012). Authentic leadership, authentic followership, basic need satisfaction, and work role performance. Journal of Management, 41(6), 1677–1697. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206312457822

The Riddle of Lead By Example

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The top organizations in the United States share the following qualities in common: unrivaled service, innovation, employee-centricity, meticulous organization, clear communication, bottom-line awareness, and a mission-oriented approach that makes customer service the primary goal (Amos & Weathington, 2008). Organizations that come to mind are Starbucks, Lowe's Home Improvement, Marriott, and it would be an error not to mention Disney.

Other institutions and organizations are ambassadors of their culture and brand—think of sports teams and the United States Marine Corps. According to Millar (2016), they carry the image and represent the institution with which they are affiliated. Members are sold on supporting the mission of that entity and are transformed into brand ambassadors to align with the institution's goals, whether it's winning championships or national defense.

In an ideal situation, one would hope that all organizational leaders put others' interests before their own self-interest. Still, it is not impossible to think of cases where the opposite has occurred in other industries where leadership has been exposed for mismanagement or the misuse of power.

Although leadership faces challenges, according to leaders who are in tune with their moral compass, which guides their value system and simultaneously allows them to identify with their shared community, their moral compass gives their followers the perception that they are genuinely authentic (Steffens et al., 2021). The idea of a moral compass is closely connected to leading by example.

Barriers of Ineffectuality

Leadership is hard. Striving to influence others is the call of the hour for those in positions of influence who would meet their calling as servant leaders (Savel & Munro, 2017). Thus, many bricks within an organization's culture that support employees and the leadership team, facilitating a strong team foundation, are trust. Misused authority or power is a barrier to leadership effectiveness that can make a leader ineffective, which might be missing from the brick-and-mortar foundation of trust in the workplace culture. One type of misused power is coercive influence. This type of power authority is grounded in alarmism and intimidation when personnel fail to meet a leader's performance criteria (Marquis & Huston, 2021). This approach quickly demolishes trust.   

What is Power?

A classical and long-standing explanation of power will provide the atmosphere surrounding a leader's ineffectuality. Having power is the ability to generate energy for an intentional effect (Edwards, 1967). A more scientific definition may serve a purpose, as power is the speed at which work is performed (Cullerne, 2009). However, a final explanation will still stay in mind, especially for organizational leadership. Power is neither positive nor negative; instead, it is how one wields and uses one's energies, abilities, and potential to achieve an effect (Marquis & Huston, 2021).

Empower vs. Power

Over time, teams that have developed trust can build healthy work relationships. When staff feel that their leaders are performing good work, when staff feel that their leaders foster the interest of their personnel, and when staff perceive that no one is trying to control them, it is said that the team and the leader are working in partnership (Marquis & Huston, 2021). It takes time to build trust; the fastest way to build trust is by getting to know those on a leader's team. In theory, the power struggle diminishes in the workplace when direct reports feel that their needs are being met and a genuine workplace partnership exists between staff and leadership.

The Leaders Self-Esteem

Contingent self-esteem, as defined by Gardner et al. (2005), refers to an individual who primarily derives their self-worth from external and environmental confirmation from others, situations, and/or circumstances. By contrast, idyllic self-esteem is that type of self-worth in an individual manifested to the extent that such persons navigate daily life from a position without fear or favor of the impact of favorable and unfavorable events in their life, can realistically evaluate and are settled with their current skills, abilities, shortcomings, and perceived or fundamental inadequacies and who can cope with adversity by remaining untainted by negative perceptions of themselves.

Less-than-stellar workplace environments exhibit the following characteristics of ineffectual leaders: an uncommitted demeanor, unsupportive behavior, failing to consider others' thoughts in decisions, and low visibility in rounding out to keep the workplace sound (Farokhzadian et al., 2018). Best practices, by contrast, are establishing a safe work environment both physically and mentally, departmental commitment, having an "open-door policy, listening to staff concerns, department visibility, and frequent unit rounding.

References:

Amos, E. A., & Weathington, B. L. (2008). An analysis of the relation between employee-organization value congruence and employee attitudes. The Journal of Psychology, 142(6), 615-31. http://dx.doi.org/10.3200/JRLP.142.6.615-632

Cullerne, J. (2009). Power. In J. Cullerne (Ed.), The Penguin dictionary of physics (4th ed.). Penguin. Credo Reference: https://lopes.idm.oclc.org/login?

url=https://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/pendphys/power/0?institutionId=5865

Edwards, P. (1967). Power. In The encyclopedia of philosophy (Vol. 6, pp. 424-427). Macmillan company & the Free Press.

Farokhzadian, J., Nahid, D. N., & Borhani, F. (2018). The long way ahead to achieve an effective patient safety culture: Challenges perceived by nurses. BMC Health Services Research, 18http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12913-018-3467-1

Gardner, W. L., Avolio, B. J., Luthans, F., May, D. R., & Walumbwa, F. (2005). "Can you see the real me?" A self-based model of authentic leader and Follower Development. The Leadership Quarterly, 16(3), 343–372. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2005.03.003

Marquis, B. L., & Huston, C. J. (2021). Leadership roles and management functions in nursing: Theory and application (10th ed.). Wolters Kluwer. 

Millar, R. (2016). Turning employees into brand champions: Leadership style makes a difference. In R. Millar (Ed.), Ideas for Leaders collection. IEDP Ideas for Leaders Ltd. Credo Reference: https://lopes.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/idealideas/turning_employees_into_brand_champions_leadership_style_makes_a_difference/0?institutionId=5865

Savel, R. H., & Munro, C. L. (2017). Servant leadership: The primacy of service. American Journal of Critical Care, 26(2), 97–99. https://doi-org.lopes.idm.oclc.org/10.4037/ajcc2017356

Steffens, N. K., Wolyniec, N., Okimoto, T., Mols, F., Haslam, S. A., & Kay, A. (2021). Knowing me, knowing us: Personal and collective self-awareness enhances authentic leadership and leader endorsement. The Leadership Quarterly, 32(6). https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/z2r7f

Rules, Examples and Principles

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Any student can reflect on their training and agree that they will not be content with just ingesting the teacher's theories, taking diligent notes, and devouring textbooks to learn a subject in the course of study. The same student will be unable to be content with lab practicums, experiments, and the rigors of the physical and biological sciences laboratory. When clinical learning is encountered, the same student will not be content. However, it is necessary for validation and guidance, and will need to move past the mentor who is closely monitoring nearby as patients are seen, assessed, and cared for. No, by all means, the final stage in the learning process comes from the most outstanding teacher called life experience (Temple, 1860, p. 22). Until then, the learning is incomplete, and expertise must be grasped and balanced so that the nurse is complete and able to mature and grow in delivering the best therapies, helping patients restore and recover during the healing process.

The exact process nursing students navigate to become competent professionals through schooling, clinical experience, and licensed practitioners is the same for those navigating leadership roles. It's not enough to read leadership articles, attend leadership courses, or sit at the feet of one's mentor or coach, although it is helpful. Until the person in the role, when left to their own devices, must navigate through trial and error, with success and failure, in the laboratory of life experience, does the person of leadership finally learn how to influence, make a difference, and serve others? However, the role of leadership and the daily practicum never ends in a capstone; the continuous improvement process guides the leader. It is a source of encouragement to remind them to maintain the course.

Reference:

Temple, F. (1860). The Education of the World. In J. W. Parker, Essays and Reviews: The Education of the World, Bunsen's Biblical Researches, On the Study of the Evidences of Christianity; Seances Historiques de Genève; On the Mosaic Cosmogony; Tendencies of Religious Thought in England, 1688-1750; On the Interpretation of Scripture (pp. 1–31). Retrieved from https://ccel.org/.

Be "authentic "but how?

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In her outstanding book Mindset, Carol Dweck vividly describes that we are either in an area of amplification and expansion of our attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors or not (Dweck, 2008). Some leaders choose to be a statue, unwilling to bend. However, a closer observation of human functioning reveals that we are moving and alive even at the cellular level. From birth to death, we are growing and maturing and are not rooted to the spot. Leaders who continuously learn and update their operating systems are set up for opportunities to make the most remarkable change in the environments they steward. 

Authentic leadership's key component is self-awareness (Gardner et al., 2005). The literature describes self-awareness as a personal understanding and acknowledgment of how one is currently acting, behaving, and impacting others in their immediate circle of influence (Marquis & Huston, 2021). Additionally, Gardner et al. (2005) give a broader definition, such that the authentic leader takes ownership, takes on the responsibility of their personal life story that includes the way he or she thinks, feels, addresses their desires and goals, and acting in such ways that correspond with the true self that others experience.

References:

Dweck, C. S. (2008). Mindset the new psychology of success. Ballantine. 

Gardner, W. L., Avolio, B. J., Luthans, F., May, D. R., & Walumbwa, F. (2005). "Can you see the real me?" A self-based model of authentic leader and Follower Development. The Leadership Quarterly, 16(3), 343–372. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2005.03.003

Marquis, B. L., & Huston, C. J. (2021). Leadership roles and management functions in nursing: Theory and application (10th ed.). Wolters Kluwer. 

Teamwork and Hope

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Most people understand that leadership must accept and confront challenging realities. Leaders should be comfortable working in environments where not everyone fully accepts their role and influence (Bass, 2008). It is unrealistic to expect to be liked by everyone; instead, leaders must be prepared to handle conflicts. According to Avolio et al. (2004), a key distinction in leadership style is openness with others, which separates authentic leaders—who seek to influence and empower others—from those who lead through transactional methods meant to coerce. Avolio et al. (2004) suggest that a leader can still influence follower actions when perceived incentives are lacking. Where leaders remain true to their internal value compass, they foster natural follower behaviors, even without social rewards.

References:

Avolio, B. J., Gardner, W. L., Walumbwa, F. O., Luthans, F., & May, D. R. (2004). Unlocking the mask: How authentic leaders impact follower attitudes and behaviors. The Leadership Quarterly, 15(6), 801–823. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2004.09.003

Bass, B. M. (2008). Resolution of Conflict. In The Bass Handbook of Leadership: Theory, Research, & Managerial Applications (4th ed., p. 319). essay, Simon & Schuster.