He’s the passive aggressor, the one with the tight-jawed smile. Sure, he’s a great guy when he gets his way, but give him an unpleasant task and he’ll drag his feet. Need him to fill out that insurance paperwork? Yeah. He’ll get right on that.

On the climb up the corporate ladder, the line between strength and weakness isn’t always clear. Although the procrastinator is outwardly pleasant and sociable, team members may be putt off by his stubbornness.

Watch this video to see the Procrastinator at work, or visit www.howdoyouderail.com to view the entire HDS video series. Follow on Twitter @ImHiLeisurely #howdoyouderail

She’s the list maker, the fact checker, the one who always seems to be checking your work over your shoulder. Sure, some call it nitpicking, but isn’t anything worth doing worth doing right?

On the climb up the corporate ladder, the line between strength and weakness isn’t always clear. The same impossibly high standards that helped the perfectionist early in her career can earn her a reputation as a micromanager in the corner office.

Watch this video to see the perfectionist at work, or visit www.howdoyouderail.com to view the entire HDS video series. Follow on Twitter @ImHiDiligent #howdoyouderail

Within the past year or so, the topic of authentic leadership keeps surfacing around the Hogan office, with our clients, and at a few conferences. The repeated references to and different explanations of this buzzword in the leadership development world caused me to pause for a minute. What exactly is authentic leadership, and how can you achieve it? Or, better yet, what can stand your way?

To answer these questions, I started with the authentic leadership guru, Bill George. Mr. George has penned two books on the topic: Authentic Leadership and its successor True North. In his blog post “Authentic Leadership Revisited” he defines authentic leadership as “being genuine, real, and true to who you are.” Another blog post  states that, “to become authentic, each of us has to develop our own leadership style, consistent with our personality and character.”

I think the concept of achieving authentic leadership boils down to strategic self-awareness. Knowing your strengths and challenges, being willing to point out the chinks in your armor, and demonstrating a certain element of humility can all lead to becoming a more authentic leader. Of course, this is more easily said than done. However, Hogan’s personality assessments, development-focused reports, and feedback process can certainly help start the strategic self-awareness conversation.

Additionally, the bigger question here remains. Are there certain personality characteristics that can stand in your way of being seen as authentic? The moving against cluster (Bold, Colorful, Mischievous, and Imaginative) on the Hogan Development Survey can affect your perceived ability to be authentic. It’s important to keep in mind that HDS behaviors often arise under stress, pressure, boredom, or complacency. These are not every day behaviors, but can still impact your perceived authenticity or leadership brand. For example, high scores on this cluster suggest that leaders with these derailing behaviors may not express humility (Colorful) and be unwilling to admit mistakes (Bold). The graph below highlights the impact these derailers can have on authentic leadership.



So, how do you derail? Given these implications for authentic leadership, it’s worth looking into. 

He’s the hothead, the live wire, the one with the short fuse and explosive temper. His energy is infectious, but his mood can turn on a dime, and when he starts lobbing shells, boy you’d better take cover.

On the climb up the corporate ladder, the line between strength and weakness isn’t always clear. Although the loose cannon’s intensity makes him a favorite with his boss, his volatile emotions have the people around him walking on eggshells.

Watch this video to see the loose cannon at work, or visit www.howdoyouderail.com to view the entire HDS video series. Follow on Twitter @ImHiExcitable #howdoyouderail

You've seen him around the office, he's made sure of it. He’s the boaster, the big timer, the guy who never seems to mind tooting his own horn. Some call it hubris, but are you really going to question God’s gift to business?

On the climb up the corporate ladder, the line between strength and weakness isn’t always clear. The same confidence and willingness to take credit that helped 'that guy' early in his career can turn into a sense of entitlement under the pressure of the corner office.

Watch this video to see 'that guy' at work, or visit www.howdoyouderail.com to view the entire HDS video series. Follow on Twitter @ImHiBold #howdoyouderail

She’s the idea woman, the visionary, the one with incense in her office and flowers in her hair. She doesn’t just think outside the box, she lives her life outside the box. Sure, her methods may be a bit unorthodox, but you have to dream big things to do big things.

On the climb up the corporate ladder, the line between strength and weakness isn’t always clear. Although her unique approach to problems may be an asset early in her career, it can result in a reputation as a bit of an eccentric.

Watch this video to see the dreamer at work, or visit www.howdoyouderail.com to view the entire HDS video series. Follow on Twitter @ImHiImaginative #howdoyouderail

Meet the outsider. You’ve caught an occasional glimpse of him around the office. Capable and resilient, what he lacks in social grace he makes up in cold rationality. Sure, it gets lonely at the top, but that’s the way he prefers it. He is the lone wolf, the recluse, the strong, silent type.

In the climb to the top of the ladder, the line between strength and weakness isn’t always clear. The same rugged independence that helped the outsider early in his career can come off as cold and alienating when he’s stressed, bored, tired, or otherwise distracted.

Watch this video to see the outsider at work, or visit www.howdoyouderail.com to view the entire HDS video series. Follow on Twitter @ImHiReserved #howdoyouderail.