How Do Metacognitive And Cognitive, Motivational, And Behavioral Features Work Together In Conjunction With Authentic Leadership?

People seek out a stamp, certificate of authenticity, or at least one of the advertisement words: “genuine”, “original”, “pure” “quality”, or “authentic” when buying a product (Beattie, 2014). They want the same qualities in companies and people they work with. It would be so much easier if leaders’ foreheads were just stamped, “authentic”.  Earning such a certification would mean leaders are cognizant about their morals and values, standing by them, even under adversity (Bishop, 2013). Cultural intelligence (CQ), combined with the self-efficacy of authentic leadership, fosters a personal identification that gives employees confidence, which positively impacts an organization’s identity (Fallatah, Laschinger, and Read, 2017). 

Cultural intelligence is the mechanism by which the integrity of authentic leadership serves to accept differences and integrate personal cultural beliefs with unfamiliar cultural attributes.  CQ components influence leadership style and direction, according to the GLOBE study outlined by Gupta & Van Wart (2016). These factors build a leader’s moral perspective (Vogelgesang, Clapp-Smith, & Palmer, 2009). Although cognitive features relate to one’s thoughts, values, and feelings, it is the thoughts about these elements, their relation to situations, and reliable action that distinguishes leaders as authentic. Vogelgesang, Clapp-Smith & Palmer (2009) posit that the balanced application of self-awareness incorporates internal and external data, forming a depiction beyond self-centric biases.  They explain that metacognitive CQ relates to the strategies used, based on the information, or cognitive CQ, of cultures. Cognitive CQ deepens self-awareness which builds confidence, easing leaders to adapt to other cultures.  Further, it solidifies leaders’ moral beliefs, while empowering them to relate within different cultural contexts.

Motivational CQ explains the stimulus by which leaders engage with different cultures, exploring how their own values fit with other cultural norms. Further, Vogelgesang, Clapp-Smith & Palmer (2009), incorporate ethical principles to describe the motivational feature of authentic leadership reasoning. They share that a catalyst prompts a leader to explore other cultures and apply particular behaviors.  Motivational CQ promotes authentic leadership not only by necessity, but by reinforced positive outcomes.

Behavioral CQ uses relational transparency, allowing leaders to act with allegiance to their values while inviting them to respond and engage with other cultural climates (Vogelgesang, Clapp-Smith & Palmer, 2009). Internal attributes are foundational to the external behavior that other people observe.  Behavior, transparency, and openness are actions, when matching the self -relevant information, develop trusted leaders who synthesize cultural attributes and harmonize organizations. Behavioral CQ, according to Vogelgesang, Clapp-Smith & Palmer (2009), exploits motivational CQ through action.

High cultural intelligence prepares authentic leaders to apply their morals and values in order to adjust their behavior in unique situations. One view, according to Gupta & Van Wart (2016), is that cultural intelligence provides leadership with adaptation skills that encourage cultural diversity. Another view, they describe, incorporates personal values, social values, and cultural nuances.  High CQ provides leaders a moral base from which they can adapt their behavior in various situations without compromising their core values. Vogelgesang, Clapp-Smith & Palmer (2009), relay that morally grounded leaders are equipped to adapt even in a situation counter to their values or in an ambiguous context. They emphasize high CQ is especially effective in the context of greater moral dilemmas, due to the leader’s ability to discern their moral perspective and influence cultural intelligence in others.

Conclusion

Culturally intelligent, authentic leaders balance their self-centric thoughts and the cultural situation, grounded by their ethics, evidenced by their openness and behavior modelling, to build trust. Authentic leaders possess internal values that they adhere to and are deemed worthwhile by others’ assessments (Bishop, 2013). The “certificate of authenticity” is an intrinsic leadership quality, displayed through model behavior observed by others, and is not a printed paper or stamped on the forehead.

           

References

Beattie, G. (2014, November 14). The Number One Thing Consumers Want From Brands?

Honesty. Fast Company. Retrieved from https://www.fastcompany.com/3038488/the-number-one-thing-consumers-want-from-brands-honesty

Bishop, William H. (2013). Defining the Authenticity in Authentic Leadership. The Journal of

Values-Based Leadership, 6(10). Retrieved from http://scholar.valpo.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1077&context=jvbl

Fallatah, F., Laschinger, H. K. S., and Read, E.A. (2017).  The effects of authentic leadership,

organizational identification, and occupational coping self-efficacy on new graduate nurses' job turnover intentions in Canada. Nursing Outlook, 65(2), 172-183. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1016/j.outlook.2016.11.020

Gupta, V. & Van Wart, M. (2016). Leadership Across the Globe. New York:

Routledge.  Retrieved from: https://books.google.com/books?id=PfcsCgAAQBAJ&lpg=PA20&ots=n6dsIEp8Mi&dq=culturally%20adaptive%20leadership%20styles&pg=PA21#v=onepage&q=culturally%20adaptive%20leadership%20styles&f=false

Vogelgesang, G., Clapp-Smith, R. & Palmer, N. (2009). The Role of Authentic Leadership and

Cultural Intelligence in Cross-Cultural Contexts: An Objectivist Perspective. International Journal of Leadership Studies, 5(2), 102-117. Retrieved from: http://www.regent.edu/acad/global/publications/ijls/new/vol5iss2/IJLS_vol5_iss2_vogelgesang_authentic_leadership.pdf