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Learning Leadership from Dogs Published online by Cambridge University Press: 17 June 2025
Authenticity in Individuals
I have always felt that authenticity is a quality that should be encouraged in leaders, and non-leaders alike. After all, why waste time and effort being an individual who is faker than a shiny glistening snowball in the middle of the Sahara Desert. There is nothing quite as unmotivating as finding out that a person especially someone in a position of authority to you (such as your leader) is inauthentic, and that their words mean nothing and have no value whatsoever. Authenticity refers to the quality of being genuine—in other words, you speak in accordance with what you actually believe or think. If you adhere to a certain value-system, then you act in accordance with it. For example, if you profess to be a vegan, but find yourself sneaking off to the local churrascaria every weekend to binge on picanha; then it is apparent that you are not authentically vegan. A lack of genuineness reflects a lack of authenticity, and of course, leaders who are not authentic cannot be said to be authentic leaders.
In this chapter, I will be focusing on authenticity and more precisely authentic leadership. While a person can be authentic without being a leader, an authentic leader cannot be one without being authentic. Authentic leadership is one of the more recent theories out there in the discipline of leadership and has certainly captivated the attention of scholars and popularpress people alike. As I said, we all love the very concept of authenticity—we want the items we purchase to be genuine, and we want the people we associate with to be genuine as well. That sentiment is amplified when it comes to leaders—followers crave for their leaders to be authentic leaders, as it's a lot easier for someone to follow an authentic leader.
Now back to our canine companions—I have personally never met a single dog who has been less than authentic. Yes, some are mischievous, and many are quirky characters, but they are always authentic. The love and adoration they bestow on their loved ones is always enveloped with 100% FDAapproved authenticity.
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