Effective Leadership : Authentic Value

Based Leadership Essay

811 Words Oct 15th, 2015 4 Pages

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Another trait that I have found to be an essential part of effective leadership is authentic value-

based leadership. In this sense, a leader is well aware of his or her values and strives to live out those

values on a daily basis. No one can be authentic by trying to imitate someone else. Sure you can

learn from other’s experiences, but in order to be an effective leader, you must be rooted in who

you are and what matters most to you. (George 163). When you truly know yourself and what you

stand for, it is much easier to know what to do in any situation. It is essential for leaders to be

unshakable from their core values and, hold strong convictions. This is the basis of authentic, value-

based leadership. 

The first part of authentic, value-based leadership starts with self-awareness. A leader must have the

ability to identify and reflect on what he or she will stand for, what values they will deem non-

negotiable, and what matters most in life. To be an authentic, value-based leader, one must be

willing to look within themselves through regular self-reflection in order to determine these things.

Eric Pierce was the first person to stress the importance of self-reflection to our class. He defined

self-awareness as, “the ability to look as yourself objectively.” Likewise, Daniel Goleman describes

self-awareness as knowing one’s emotions, strengths, weaknesses, drives, values and goals (What

Makes a Leader 5). Therefore, in order to make effective decisions as a…