The perils of authentic leadership theory
(2021) In Leadership 17(4). p.483-490- Abstract
In this commentary, we discuss perils of authentic leadership theory (ALT) in a modest effort to help weed out one theory that has gone amiss to pave the way for new ideas. We make an argument for why ALT is not only wrong in a harmless manner, but it may be outright perilous to leadership scholars, scholarship and those who believe in it. It may undermine academic work, delegitimize university institutions, make false promises to organizations, and cause identity trouble through encouraging managers and others overeager to live up to the proposed formula. We argue that leadership and authenticity should be kept separate as interests and themes of study.
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/708dad74-db1d-47d5-b924-8e3bea1e21ba
- author
- Einola, Katja LU and Alvesson, Mats LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2021-08-01
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Authenticity, critique, identity, leadership, research
- in
- Leadership
- volume
- 17
- issue
- 4
- pages
- 8 pages
- publisher
- SAGE Publications
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:85103431439
- ISSN
- 1742-7150
- DOI
- 10.1177/17427150211004059
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 708dad74-db1d-47d5-b924-8e3bea1e21ba
- date added to LUP
- 2021-04-14 08:33:12
- date last changed
- 2022-04-27 01:30:48
@article{708dad74-db1d-47d5-b924-8e3bea1e21ba, abstract = {{<p>In this commentary, we discuss perils of authentic leadership theory (ALT) in a modest effort to help weed out one theory that has gone amiss to pave the way for new ideas. We make an argument for why ALT is not only wrong in a harmless manner, but it may be outright perilous to leadership scholars, scholarship and those who believe in it. It may undermine academic work, delegitimize university institutions, make false promises to organizations, and cause identity trouble through encouraging managers and others overeager to live up to the proposed formula. We argue that leadership and authenticity should be kept separate as interests and themes of study.</p>}}, author = {{Einola, Katja and Alvesson, Mats}}, issn = {{1742-7150}}, keywords = {{Authenticity; critique; identity; leadership; research}}, language = {{eng}}, month = {{08}}, number = {{4}}, pages = {{483--490}}, publisher = {{SAGE Publications}}, series = {{Leadership}}, title = {{The perils of authentic leadership theory}}, url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/17427150211004059}}, doi = {{10.1177/17427150211004059}}, volume = {{17}}, year = {{2021}}, }