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Andrew Carnegie |
After more than two decades of working in the field of organisational development involving more than a hundred team development programs, mediations, leadership coaching as well as surveys of more than 14,000 individuals across Australia, we at ResolutionsRTK have come to some remarkably consistent conclusions. Too much emphasis is placed on telling leaders what they are doing wrong and what they need to do better. While this may be presented in many sophisticated guises as blind-spots, constructive feedback and criticism, or categorisation as a particular style, the message these techniques provide is clear: ‘You haven’t done enough and you need to do better.’ Added to this, public scepticism of commercial and government decision making is at an all-time high, compounded by the fact that the ethics of leader decision making is being increasingly challenged. With trust indices in western society at an all-time low, people more than ever want to be led by someone whose values and moral purpose they can identify with, someone they can trust. In this highly pressured environment, we recognised the need for a new approach to leadership, one that integrates the best from recent research and practice, and importantly, one that helps leaders understand what it means to lead authentically. The cutting edge theory of Authentic Leadership, developed in recognition that leaders need to be more authentic in their behaviours, is an approach that is well researched and validated and has received worldwide acclaim. In the words of two internationally leading scholars of authentic leadership, Fred Walumbwa and Bruce Avolio, an authentic leader is someone who is:
As leaders in the field of organisational development, ResolutionsRTK, in collaboration with Associate Professor Giles Hirst from Monash University, have developed an Authentic Leadership training program. Our program encompasses not only the key constructs of Authentic Leadership but also combines the leading methodologies of Psychological Capital (PsyCap) and Positive Psychology. The key goals of the program are to develop a leader's self-awareness, to build on their strengths, to help them understand their beliefs and values and to act on these in their interactions with others and, importantly, to be able to inspire and influence the people around them to constantly improve their work and performance. Antecedents of Authentic Leadership
Key aspects covered in the Authentic Leadership program include:
The program runs over six one-day workshops with an Action Learning component where program learnings can be put into practice for maximum organisational benefit. Recently, forty senior managers and executives from EPA Victoria completed the Authentic Leadership program as part of their own Leadership Development Program. The program kicked-off with a 2 day retreat during which participants learnt about the core elements of leadership; underwent a strengths assessment; undertook activities to build relationships and teamwork; and explored the leadership opportunities for EPA's future. In subsequent modules further insights and skills were developed through a combination of theory and individual and group practice. Feedback from the program has been very positive.
Our Authentic Leadership program has also received very positive feedback from Professor Fred Walumbwa, a world leader in Authentic Leadership, who has described the program as an, "outstanding, world leading program that demonstrates the organisations forward thinking nature."
© ResolutionsRTK 2011 | Ezine | Volume 5 | Issue 3 | October 2011 |
As professionals interested in people’s work lives and their enjoyment and engagement in their career, we have observed the ever increasing pressure and demands placed on employees and leaders in particular. We are working longer hours; technology hasn’t made life easier, in fact it has intensified work. Not surprisingly the prevalence of stress, disengagement and unhealthy conflict has increased in the workplace. 
