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The perils of authentic leadership theory

Einola, Katja LU and Alvesson, Mats LU (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.

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author
and
organization
publishing date
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}},
}