The Reality: Fake Organizational Leadership is More Than a Gamble, it's a Grave Risk

“When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time." ~Maya Angelou 

The combination of living over six decades, earning multiple college degrees, working over thirty-four years in corporate America, studying and researching leaders for over ten years, and observing intensely four years of recent actions by politicians of all parties, has finally convinced me that there is no such thing as a Good Leader, only Good People who choose to lead. 

Let's face it. Regardless of your age, gender, educational level, religious affiliation, race or political preferences, there are a few things that should always ring true --- the earth is round...blue skies are always blue...and character comes with the leader and not the job.

Almost in any discussion in both academic and philosophical circles in recent years, when someone is asked, what is the most important trait an organizational leader [one that is selected or elected] must have...we, too often, hear the word authenticity.

As most of you are aware, the word "authenticity" is a noun --- not an adjective. It does not refer to how you should be...but who you genuinely are.

The formal definition of the word authenticity refers to "the proven fact that something is legitimate or real". As you will note, the quote at the beginning of this article is attributed to one of my favorite poets, people-analyzers, and truth-tellers, the late Maya Angelou. Over the years, I have also come to believe that “When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time."

I have personally witnessed, in both my personal and professional life, the reality that --- in some circumstances and for some period of time --- the individuals we either select or elect to take on the role and responsibility of being our organization's leaders can actually "fake" their way through the genuine leadership aspects of the job.

By "fake" here, I do not mean NOT genuine or a sham because of the lack of leadership skills or a competent leadership team. I mean purposefully prioritizing personal "good" over organizational "good".

In many cases, we can honestly and whole-hardheartedly feel that we were correct in choosing our leaders. Especially when our leaders are achieving the desired objectives in the areas of the organization that are most important to us.

However, what happens when we and others around us [especially those who matter] begin to witness a leader's true authenticity?

Regardless how the leader’s true authenticity is revealed, we now see an individual whose "character" in many other areas of the organization does not reflect what we would expect in a "Good Leader" --- with "Good" here meaning the "good" of the organization as a whole.

Many times, when we find ourselves in this dilemma, the "self-preservation" aspect of human nature tends to push us toward taking the "gamble" and we do nothing. Our hope is that "somehow" the fundamental principles or constitution of the organization will prevent the unthinkable --- that is, the "cucumber" of an organization that we are so proud of turning into a "pickle" --- knowing that the damage will be irreversible.

The reality is that the power and control associated with organizational leadership --- just as the influence and control of friends and family members we sometimes believe in and trust----can present hidden and undetectable dangers.

"Genuine" organizational leadership and leaders whose character support the "good" of the organization are NOT always viewed as "doing good" for everyone --- all the time. Then again, chances are, because their reasoning and actions are genuine and consistently transparent, the "good" of the organization is never in doubt.

However, "Fake" organizational leadership and leaders whose reasoning and actions are NOT genuine and NOT consistently transparent [and are often deceptive] present a grave risk to the preservation of the "good" of the organization...and in many cases the damage can be irreversible.

I wonder how many times Maya Angelou attempted [and wanted] to believe that some of the people in her life were authentically good ... before she finally accepted this reality and accepted who they really were.