Authenticity, Ethics and Leadership

Abstract

In this chapter, I explore whether authenticity, in and of itself, can guard against unethical conduct. My interest in this topic emerges from my discussions with research participants. For example, although most women leaders I interviewed regarded authenticity as important in regards to leading ethically, not everyone was convinced. One participant argued that the problem with management theories like authentic leadership is that they fail to account for the problem of a leader’s ‘dirty hands’. I want to address this issue of ‘dirty hands’ by considering how authenticity is connected to ethical action in leaders, and others.