Business Question

Assignment 1: Authentic leadership theory.
Submit for: September 15
Submit via Black Board, 20 = plagiarism criteria
Points: 35
10 Pages. 12-point font, 1.5 line spacing, 1-inch margins, page numbers, references, cover page
to include course name and number, your name, your ID.
Everyone sees what you appear to be, few experience what you really are.
Niccolo Machiavelli (The Prince – Chapter 18, 1513)
The Objective of this assignment is to ensure you understand Authentic Leadership, a current
leadership model (based on positive psychology). This is our start point for exploring our
leadership strengths and weaknesses. This is necessary for successful completion of the
leadership self-evaluation exercise (Assignment 2).
NB! I provide necessary articles on MSTeams
1) Provide a brief introduction to the topic of this report: Authentic Leadership.
a. What is the report about? Then proved a brief road map of how you will present
your arguments.
2) Using the George Model (practitioner based) you are to summarize and integrate the
articles (Bennis and George) i.e. describe Authentic Leadership. Tell the story of
Authentic Leadership.
a. Bennis, W. G., & Thomas, R. J. (2002). Crucibles of leadership. Harvard business
review, 80.
https://gmdconsulting.eu/nykerk/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/HBR-Top-10-_Crucibles-of-Leadership.pdf
b. George, B., Sims, P., McLean, A. N., & Mayer, D. (2007). Discovering your
authentic leadership. Harvard business review, 85(2), 129.
https://www.simplylifeindia.com/uploads/8/1/1/5/8115412/discovering_your_a
uthentic_leadership.pdf
2) You are then to apply the model by mapping Sheik Zayed against the model. (Make sure you
include examples to justify your decisions). (below)
3) You will Draw a conclusion as to the veracity of the model based on your Sheik Zayed
mapping and readings.
4) Next, you will write a short thought piece evaluating Authentic leadership in the larger
context considering warnings from researchers such as Alvesson and Einola (2019), Fischer,
Dietz, and Antonakis (2024) or counter views of human nature such as Machiavelli (above quote
and I include links below to introduce briefly Machiavelli’s ideas to you.).
Be thoughtful and focus on creating a strong, well-reasoned discussion. (I am neutral on the
robustness of the Authentic Leadership theory/model.)
It has been noted that the Catholic church (the overarching authority during the period of
Machiavelli circa: 1512) promulgated utopian ideals of how the world and people should
behave to create utopia. Machiavelli wrote in his work, The Prince (you can download the book
for free on the internet. I provide a couple of YouTube links to give a quick insight) about how
people really are, how people should behave to survive as a leader. This book was published
around 1532.
a. Alvesson, M., & Einola, K. (2019). Warning for excessive positivity: Authentic
leadership and other traps in leadership studies. The Leadership Quarterly, 30(4),
383-395.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2019.04.001
b. Fischer, T., Dietz, J., & Antonakis, J. (2024). A fatal flaw: Positive
leadership style research creates causal illusions. The Leadership
Quarterly, 101771.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1048984323000978
5) Finally, provide a strong conclusion about Authentic Leadership (remember you are thinking
about leadership). The conclusion summarizes your whole report and returns us to the start.
6) References (hard copies on MSTeams)
NB: Make sure you provide evidence and examples to justify your responses & conclusions.
a. Alvesson, M., & Einola, K. (2019). Warning for excessive positivity: Authentic
leadership and other traps in leadership studies. The Leadership Quarterly, 30(4),
383-395.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/332715019_Warning_for_excessive_
positivity_Authentic_leadership_and_other_traps_in_leadership_studies
b. Bennis, W. G., & Thomas, R. J. (2002). Crucibles of leadership. Harvard business
review, 80.
https://gmdconsulting.eu/nykerk/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/HBR-Top-10-_Crucibles-of-Leadership.pdf
c. Fischer, T., Dietz, J., & Antonakis, J. (2024). A fatal flaw: Positive leadership style
research creates causal illusions. The Leadership Quarterly, 101771.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1048984323000978
d. George, B., Sims, P., McLean, A. N., & Mayer, D. (2007). Discovering your
authentic leadership. Harvard business review, 85(2), 129.
https://www.simplylifeindia.com/uploads/8/1/1/5/8115412/discovering_your_a
uthentic_leadership.pdf
e. Luthans, F., & Avolio, B. J. (2003). Authentic leadership development. Positive
organizational scholarship, 241(258), 1-26.
https://cerf.radiologie.fr/sites/cerf.radiologie.fr/files/Enseignement/DES/Modul
es-Base/Luthans%20%26%20Avolio%2C%202003.pdf
Quick hit: What is positive psychology?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sq3sFNyni1A What is positive psychology?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aL9VhmO7T_c What is positive psychology
Quick hit: Machiavelli:



George et al: Authentic leadership Models
From: Northouse, Peter G. (2016). Leadership: Theory and Practice (7th ed.). Thousand Oaks,
CA: SAGE Publications, Inc
Expand as needed.
Authentic self
Outward evidence (specific; may be speculative. Justify)
purpose
passion
values
behavior
relationships
connectedness
Self-discipline
consistency
heart
compassion
Rubric
Criteria
Case summary &
problems
definition
Exceeds Standard
Meets Standard
Below Standard
90 % or above
75% to 89%
less than 75%
Identifies clearly the problem Recognizes key problems in Does not identify the
and underlying issues.
the case.
problem.
15%
Application of
Theory
Discusses facts of the case in Considers facts from the case Simply repeats facts
relation to theories and
and identify related theories listed in case and does
concepts.
and concepts.
not identify related
20%
theories and concepts.
Critical Analysis Provides thorough and
Uses tools, approaches, or Does not attempt to
sometimes insightful analysis methods as necessary to
derive meaning from
20%
of facts presented in the case, combine facts or derive
the facts presented in
using multiple methods or
meanings from facts in order the case, or uncritically
tools to reach conclusions
to reach conclusions about accepts opinions as
about potential courses of
potential courses of action. facts.
action.
Recommendations Provides many alternative
generates an adequate
No action proposed or
solutions and demonstrates the number of solutions. More proposes infeasible
30%
use of integrated knowledge in than one reasonable action action(s).
creative solutions to
proposed.
unfamiliar problems in
unfamiliar contexts.
Overall writing and Effectively uses an academic Uses an academic style and Uses an incoherent
structure
style and has no errors related has minimal errors related to style and there are
to organization, or use of APA organization, or use of APA major errors related to
15%
citation formatting
citation formatting
organization, or use of
APA citation
formatting