Pursuing Authentic Leadership Development

By: Bruce J. Avolio

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Synopsis: This chapter raises a critical question in the science and practice of leadership: As our population rapidly expands, how can we speed the development of the kind of leadership we will need to promote a sustainable world? Especially in the wake of the global economic crisis (and the accompanying fall from grace of high-ranking leaders in both business and government), the need for "authentic" leaders-those who are both morally unimpeachable and intent on empowering those they lead-has gained traction. The author of this chapter, an expert on authentic and transformational leadership, surveys the research and intellectual history that has led to what he believes is the next challenging frontier for both the science and the practice of leadership-defining what constitutes authentic leadership development. This chapter was originally published as Chapter 25 of "Handbook of Leadership Theory and Practice: A Harvard Business School Centennial Colloquium."