The journey of individuation: A Jungian alternative to the theory and practice of leading authentically

Abstract

Along with increasing interest from both leadership scholars and organizational members in the concept of 'authenticity' as it applies to leadership, critique of the dominant way in which authentic leadership is theorized is also on the rise. In particular, recent empirical accounts of individuals attempting to enact authentic leadership reveal the difficulties associated with doing so, especially in relation to current theorizing's emphasis on leaders' display of predominantly positive, pro-social behaviours. This paper enriches current theorizing by introducing Carl Jung's notion of 'individuation' as a journey through which shadow aspects of the self can be incorporated into, rather than dismissed from the act of leading. Such a construction develops current authentic leadership theorizing by 1) highlighting the limits of conscious decision making in relation to behavioural choices and recognizing the powerful influence the unconscious exerts on thoughts and actions, 2) proposing that authenticity is achieved through integrating less desirable aspects of the self rather than repressing them, and 3) appreciating the role of the collective in creating an authentic sense of self, rather than valorising individual self-knowing as authenticity's sole source. By enlarging the authentic leadership construct from this perspective, the paper provides a psychologically robust, if developmentally challenging, means by which those aspiring to bring something of their 'real' selves into their enactment of leading might do so.

The price of wearing (or not wearing) the crown: The effects of loneliness on leaders and followers

“…Critical perspectives on authentic leadership, on the other hand, hold that authentic leaders subordinate their deeper inclinations to a collectively-, organizationally defined self, resulting in their losing the very authenticity they pride themselves on (Ford and Harding, 2011; Ladkin et al., 2016; Lawler and Ashman, 2012). In fact, the only attributed characteristics of authentic leaders are related to the positive subdimension of one’s genuine self, such as optimism, confidence, hopefulness, and resilience (Gardner et al., 2005).…”

“…Similarly, Luthans and Avolio (2003) define authentic leadership in organizations asa process that draws from both positive psychological capacities and a highly developed organizational context, which results in both greater self-awareness and self-regulated positive behaviors on the part of leaders and associates, fostering positive self-development. (p. 243)It seems that the possibility of authentically negative leader emotions or characteristics is not considered by authentic leadership theory (Ladkin et al., 2016).…”

“…These critical perspectives on authentic leadership have refashioned the construct from its origins as an internal search for one’s “true self” (Gardner et al., 2005) to a multidimensional, externally oriented process of distilling fragmented identities into a coherent narrative (Ibarra and Barbulescu, 2010). Hence, there appears to be a darker side of authentic leadership (Nyberg and Sveningsson, 2014) that encompasses Jung’s “shadow self” (Ladkin et al., 2016) in addition to the more social acceptable characteristics of earlier, more singularly positive constructions of authentic leadership. Leaders who incorporate their unconscious motives into their leadership style are more likely to experience meaning in their roles, which is particularly critical for leaders to remain engaged in their work (Lips-Wiersma et al., 2016).…”

How ethical leadership is related to authenticity

“…As the quote from Bill George shows, the topic seems to be more obvious for practitioners.18 For exampleLadkin et al 2016 suggest that C. G. Jung's notion of individuation can help us refine the concept of authentic leadership, because it provides a way of introducing unconscious aspects into leadership theory that accords a role to the developmental and processual insights developed in the literature on authentic leadership.…”

Counselor Development as The Hero’s Journey: Reflections from a Counselor Educator

“…This drive could be to concern as they collected their observations of the ordinary world. Crossing this threshold will lead to many experiences they have yet to face, from learning from their mentors (instructors, supervisors, and experienced representatives of (ethics and moral development) (Ladkin, Spitler, & Craze, 2018;Stein, 1998) and becoming their larger than they had realized (state licensure), and then moving toward the later stages of their professional development while armed with all the abilities of this acquired experience.…”