HBR Guide to Being a Great Boss

CHAPTER 2

Managing Authenticity: The Paradox of Great Leadership

by Rob Goffee and Gareth Jones

Leadership demands the expression of an authentic self. Try to lead like someone else, and you will fail. Employees will not follow someone who invests little of themself in their leadership behaviors. People want to be led by someone “real.”

But while the expression of an authentic self is necessary for great leadership, the concept of authenticity is often misunderstood, not least by leaders themselves. They often assume that authenticity is an innate quality—that a person is either authentic or not. In fact, authenticity is a quality that others must attribute to you. No leader can look into a mirror and say, “I am authentic.” A person cannot be ...