In order to achieve success for the company, leaders should motivate their followers. Thus, in defining the source of their motivation, leaders can be motivated by bringing good to many people. Alternatively, leaders can be motivated to move the company towards success for personal gain. Thus, the leaders who set high morals for their followers and themselves can be perceived as authentic leaders. According to Malloy and Kavussanu (2021), authentic leader promotes a positive ethical working climate, self-development, and increased self-awareness in both the leader and his followers. Furthermore, authentic leadership cultivates innovations in the workplace, improving the company’s organizational and economic efficiency (Grošelj et al., 2021). On the other hand, leaders who prioritize personal interests and violate ethical considerations in their activity are acknowledged as pseudo-transformational leaders.
Next, an effective way to explore the differences between the two types of leaders is to compare their examples. A significant example of an authentic leader is Martin Luther King Jr, who promoted high moral standards of equality and unification. As a leader, King formed a strong connection with his followers regardless of their skin color by sharing his ideas through public speaking activities. Furthermore, King was personally invested in the goal of making the world better for all Americans. On the contrary, Adolf Hitler is often acknowledged as an example of a pseudo-transformational leader because of the unethical nature of his vision and moral values. Even though Hitler’s ideas gained a significant number of followers, they were based on the idea of the superiority of one group of people. Thus, Hitler intended to bring good to people through evil by persecuting and destroying innocent people. Lastly, Hitler’s activities persecuted independent thinking, which emphasizes the self-consumed nature of his leadership.
References
Grošelj, M., Černe, M., Penger, S. and Grah, B. (2021). Authentic and transformational leadership and innovative work behaviour: The moderating role of psychological empowerment. European Journal of Innovation Management, 24(3), 677-706.
Malloy, E., & Kavussanu, M. (2021). A comparison of authentic and transformational leadership in sport. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 51(7), 636-646.