Provide 2�3 examples of when you witnessed authentic leadership. What did the individuals you listed
do that demonstrated authenticity and how does this compare to the findings of the attached journal
article?
1)The examples I want from leaderships working in aviation only. And I prefer the examples from Aviation
Companies like Qatar Airways, Etihad, and Emirates.
2)Do include all your references, as per the Harvard Referencing System.
3)Please don�t use Wikipedia web site.
4)I need examples from peer reviewed articles or researches.
BL.DQR.W5
Sunil Joshua
The Commercial Training Manager at Etihad Airways, Sunil Joshua supervises a team of 30
trainers and 4 line managers countrywide. A conspicuous observation is simplicity of his
relations with his followers and the level of team work observed within his team. He can be
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considered an authentic leader because he has played the role of empowering his trainers to a
level where they do not depend on him to run their daily routines and where they can effectively
make relevant decisions to promote the objectives of the company. In addition, he fosters an
open relationship with his followers where their personal lives are considered an important
aspect of success; and thus encourages them to effectively balance their careers and personal
lives.
Sunil demonstrated authentic leadership when one of his trainer’s wife fell seriously ill and he
had to take care of her for several days. Unfortunately, this was the same time that the unit had
organized a major training and personnel from different regions had assembled for the event,
which is done yearly. Being the facilitator of the training, the team member was at a loss on what
to do because both the training and his wife were important aspects of his life. Sunil stepped in
and had to travel from another town to facilitate the training. This was a noble act on Sunil’s part
and a demonstration of his authentic leadership. Comparing this to the findings by Mital and
Dorfman (2012) Sunil as an authentic leader demonstrated that he cares for the welfare of his
followers as he did not let the trainer go ahead with the training while leaving his sick wife
behind. He also fulfilled the moral obligation of empathy that authentic leaders should possess
by understanding that the trainer may not have performed optimally if he went ahead with the
training because he would be worried about his wife at the hospital (Pescosolido, 2002).
Pettigrew, Thomas and Whittington (2006) note that authentic leaders go out of their way to
meet collective objectives and this is effectively demonstrated when Sunil decides to lead the
training himself in order to ensure that the meeting is not jeopardized. It is therefore justified to
state that Sunil is an authentic leader.
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Paul Asquith
The Team Manager at Terminal 5 of British Airways, Paul Asquith is known for his ability to
deliver through effective team work. Paul seeks to ensure that besides playing their roles,
employees feel appreciated and part of the team, regularly commending good effort and
encouraging employees to take a lead in job execution. Paul believes that individual self drive
among employees leads to better outcome as opposed to micro-managing them; a fact that is
echoed by Fryer et al (2004).
Paul demonstrated his authentic leadership characteristics when he came up with a duty
segregation approach aimed at encouraging participation of employees in decision making. This
was aimed at eliminating the number of supervisors that employees reported to and also reducing
dependence of employees on the supervisors and themselves. Team players were expected to
perform objectives which were unanimously agreed during a meeting with all employees. To
facilitate this, each member of the team was required to compose daily and weekly diaries which
would be discussed every morning to ensure that all aspects of the terminal’s management were
in place. As opposed to the supervisors giving directions on what is to be done for the day,
employees were required to develop their own plan on what they would do to achieve the
objectives depending on their line of work. This involved a clear understanding of all the
activities of the day including the number of flights, types of flights and other airport related
matters. The meetings were meant to ensure that employees are up to date with their objectives
for the day. This has improved self-confidence among employees, reduced dependability and
also helped employees understand their work and that of their team members better.
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In relation to the article by Mital and Dorfman (2012), authentic leadership is about realizing that
one’s followers have great potential and that by allowing them to exploit this potential, they can
be more productive and self-independent. Authentic leaders according to Rosenbach and Taylor
(2006) are generous enough to share their knowledge with others as opposed to making followers
fully dependent on them. It is notable that Paul wants employees to achieve personal
development and empowerment, a component that is highly valued in authentic leadership (Mital
and Dorfman, 2012). Allowing employees to take charge of their own activities helps them feel
more appreciated and they are able to see the value they add to the company (Salaman, 2005).
This increases motivation and authentic leaders are therefore likely to lead better performing
teams (Avolio and Gardner, 2005).
Shereen Laura Maraie
The performance manager at Etihad Airways, Shereen Laura Maraie, can be described as an
authentic leader and this can be proved by how well she relates to people and how her followers
look up to her for inspiration . Besides this, she is highly committed to enhancing the company
performance through empowering people to achieve personal and career growth. Shereen says
one of the reasons she loves her job because she is able to bring out the best in people.
Shereen’s authentic leadership was once demonstrated when she introduced the concept of self
appraisal to precede the normal company performance appraisal. This followed the realization
that individuals are likely to work better when they are given an opportunity to impact their own
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lives. In this program, Shereen requires each individual to make their own performance
objectives; which are then evaluated periodically to determine whether the objectives have been
met. Follow-up involves liaising with employees to determine whether they have met their
objectives, identify any challenges they may have in achieving their objectives and thus put
measures in place to improve performance. Consequently, the annual performance appraisal
exercise is easy to perform and the likelihood is that the employees will have met their
objectives.
The approach taken by Shereen demonstrates a leader who is concerned about the welfare of her
followers by letting them be in charge of their own destiny (Mital and Dorfman, 2012). As
described by Rosenbach and Taylor (2006), empowering followers and allowing independence is
a vital component of authentic leadership as it allows leaders and followers to develop a
trustworthy relationship. Northouse (2000) notes that when followers are empowered to perform
with limited supervision, they feel valued and are therefore likely to contribute more to the
company’s performance. The fact that Shereen aims at ensuring employees score highly during
annual appraisals by mentoring them throughout the year based on their personal evaluations is a
demonstration that she is concerned about the welfare of her followers (Salaman, 2005). This is
also brought forth by Avolio and Gardner (2005) who note that an authentic leader aims at
empowering and developing others to gain self confidence and thus facilitate personal growth.
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References
Avolio, BJ & Gardner, WL 2005, “Authentic leadership development: Getting to the root of
positive forms of leadership”, Leadership Quarterly, Vol 16, Issue, pp. 3315–338
Fryer, B, et al 2004). The Micromanager, Harvard Business Review, Vol 82, Issue 9,
pp. 31-39.
Mital, R & Dorfman, PW 2012, “Servant leadership across cultures”, Journal of World Business
Vol 47, Issue 4, pp. 555–570.
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Northouse, P 2000, Leadership Theory and Practice, SAGE, London.
Pescosolido, AT 2002, “Emergent leaders as managers of group emotion”, Leadership
Quarterly, Issue 13, pp. 583–599.
Pettigrew, AM, Thomas, H & Whittington, R 2006, Handbook of strategy and management,
SAGE, London.
Rosenbach, WE & Taylor, RL 2006, Contemporary issues in leadership, Westview Press,
Boulder, CO.
Salaman, G 2005, Strategic human resource management: theory and practice, SAGE
Publishers New York, NY.
