Open AccessThe perils of authentic leadership theory
Author(s) -
Katja Einola,
Mats Alvesson
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
leadership
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.021
H-Index - 44
eISSN - 1742-7169
pISSN - 1742-7150
DOI - 10.1177/17427150211004059
Subject(s) - scholarship , argument (complex analysis) , authentic leadership , sociology , epistemology , leadership theory , identity (music) , leadership , public relations , shared leadership , leadership style , political science , law , philosophy , aesthetics , biochemistry , chemistry
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.