Michael Holland, Founder and president of Bishop House said, “Authentic leadership is revealed in the alignment of what you think, what you say, and what you do.’’ This is a statement that few would disagree with, yet the nuance of day to day life in school, coupled with the attention and judgement that leaders face from both within and outside of the organisation makes it seem almost impossible at times to be authentically yourself.
Surely, if leadership is about authenticity then the more impulsive among us could never make a successful leader while those with a greater natural tendency towards deliberation would eventually come undone when faced with the need to make, and be held to account for, a critical, immediate decision. This assertion is clearly flawed and happily misunderstands the meaning of authenticity. It is not about allowing your most extreme (and often commentated upon) character traits to guide every decision you make. That is the role of your principles and values. Rather, authenticity is about aligning your actions with your words and your beliefs. All three of these elements are well within the control of all individuals, including leaders, while our personality traits themselves are constructs of our experiences and exposures.
Human beings are complex. Shakespeare gave a nod to that – ‘Why then, O brawling love, O loving hate’ (Romeo and Juliet, 1595). Everyone has aspects of their character that contradict others. The trick of leadership is, as Michael Holland says, to align your thoughts, actions and words in the specific context you wish to lead.’ So, if a school leader believes that the route to improving teacher retention is to provide the CPD and coaching that will connect teachers to the meaning and purpose that underpin the job, then they must ring-fence CPD time and ensure that it is of the highest quality and is well thought out. They must also talk often about development and be careful to be a nurturing voice whenever things do go wrong. They can, of course, be only too sure that the moment that any frustration at a concept not grasped or a teacher finding improvement hard to come by, is shown, that there will be a queue of observers waiting to remind them that their desired culture is all about development. The slow eroding of trust that results from actions not aligning with words and beliefs is one of the greatest causes of teacher and Senior leader disconnect in our schools, and contributes significantly to a feeling of anxiety and unpredictability which at its worst, can be paralysing.
Consider a Headteacher who has invested time and energy into a CPD programme, has worked carefully to allow the relevant leaders the time and space to take ownership of the programme and has watched teachers work closely together to implement new strategies or ways of thinking. The impulsive personality will naturally feel frustrated at slower than expected progress. But, the key is to dial back this particular aspect of your own character and tune in to the more developmentally focused aspect of it. Choosing which aspect of your personality to reveal at any given time is what Goffee and Jones meant when they said ‘Be yourself, with skill’ (2006).
The question is which aspect of my personality is best aligned with the actions I need to take to exemplify the belief I wish to spread among my team? This may not be the most ‘natural’ way to act but your natural self is rarely the place of leadership. Instead, it is the place of home, which also helps to draw a natural distinction between work and home which is also a useful line for leaders to be able to draw. However, by selecting from your own personality repertoire, a school leader can maintain authenticity. Actions will align with words and words with beliefs and over time, followers will start to see connections and commonalities between the actions the leader is taking and asking everyone else to take. When this is established, trust will begin to build and followers will see the principles that underpin the thinking and actions of the leader. When this is achieved, authenticity becomes ingrained in its connection to the leader’s guiding principles.
So, the answer to the authenticity challenge is more complex and nuanced than simply ‘being yourself’. It is more skillful than simply being natural and hoping for the best. Be aware of which element of your personality is best suited to the actions you need to take and the words you need to use and select how and when you will showcase that character trait. If you do this consistently, your values will become increasingly evident and at that point, authenticity is not only engrained but it will also start to be the psychological safety that allows followers to act in certainty that their actions are aligned with their leader.
Adam Kohlbeck, October 2023
Director, KP Education
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