Leadership has been defined in a variety of ways. The base of the word leadership is leader, and leaders are “individuals who are out front, taking risks, attempting to achieve shared goals, and inspiring others to action” (Marquis & Huston, 2015, 34). Interestingly, the term leader has existed since the 1300s, but the term leadership was not incorporated into “the English language until the first half of the 19th century” (Marquis & Huston, 2015, 34). Even though it is more recent to vernacular, the word leadership lacks a “single definition broad enough to encompass the total leadership process” (Marquis & Huston 2015, 34). In the article “2009: The Year of Positive Leadership”, the author states that “leadership has morphed into a cult of personality, with charisma or a dynamic profile often used for substituting skills…true leadership requires equal parts vision and humility, with the ability to confront hard truths and to coach and mentor” (Christmas 2009, 128). In the article “The Role of Nursing Leadership in Creating a Mentoring Culture in Acute Care Environments”, Bally (2007) states how “leadership must be seen as a collective venture, and a professional …show more content…
A leader should have values and follow those values. Authentic leadership states that leaders must adhere and act based upon their values (Marquis & Huston, 2015, 60). It is important to remember that authentic leadership is no easy task. Strength and courage are required in order to be true one’s values when peer pressure and opposition are real challenges. Several theorists have determined five characteristics that distinguish an authentic leader: purpose, values, heart, relationships, and self-discipline. Authentic leaders must have balanced processing, internalized moral perspective, relational transparency, and self-awareness (Marquis & Huston, 2015,