Mirella Visser Book Nominated for Top Dutch Management Book

Mirella Visser's book 'De zijderoute naar de top' (Silk road to the top), published late last year, has been nominated for Management Book of the Year in the Netherlands. Hers is one of the six books on the shortlist. Mirella Visser is founder of the Centre for Inclusive Leadership, member of the Supervisory Board of Swets & Zeitlinger and of the Advisory Board of ELP.

01-02-2010

Authentic Leadership Event Summary Nov. 3, 2009

When is Leadership authentic, when is it 'fake'? This was the key question Bas Blekkingh, owner of Authentiek Leiderschap BV and professor 'Authentic Leadership' at Nyenrode University, tackled at an FEL leadership Dinner Nov. 3.

"An Authentic Leader acts from the core, remains sincere about his or her intentions and is true to his or her word," were intuitive responses by FEL members to describe what authentic leadership means to them. Authentic Leadership is acting real and trustworthy as a leader, based on your personal mission, Blekkingh defines. This mission is about what you want to contribute to the world. It inspires and motivates leaders, "beyond the credits they may receive on a day-to-day basis." It is personal, because 'leading yourself' is a precondition for 'leading others'. Blekkingh elaborated: Authentic Leadership "is essentially about being of significance, by creating and subsequently following your mission."

How to discover and consequently act upon your mission? Blekkingh made the concept of Authentic Leadership operational by developing a 7 layer model:

1. The surroundings layer. The outer layer is the starting point explaining the selective perceptions most people have about their surroundings. A precondition for authentic leadership is to be aware of your perceptions.

2. The behaviour layer. Is about what you do.

3. The skills layer. Elaborates on constructive problem solving and communication skills.

4. The standards layer. What are standards and how do they influence our behaviour?

5. The ego layer. Everyone has built up egos in life that have been helpful to get what they want. Important layer explaining the unconscious use of egos and how they might slow down our growth.

6. The values layer. Values are the foundation for standards. Together they define the culture of an organization.

7. The authenticity layer. The deepest layer; the provider of essence in your life. About being instead of doing, happiness, contributing and creating.

A leader with the capability of giving to and receiving from his surroundings, who is primarily driven by love over fear and who is continually aware of egos popping up is rightfully authentic. According to Blekkingh "egos are here to stay; becoming an Authentic Leader is about being continuously conscious of your egos, and putting them to rest."

09-11-2009