Six Steps to Authentic Leadership: Findings from the Implementation of a Positive Leadership Development Program

Kristina Ström; Sanna Wenström; Ilkka Ratinen

doi:10.1007/978-3-032-02369-8_2

Six Steps to Authentic Leadership: Findings from the Implementation of a Positive Leadership Development Program

Kristina Ström, Sanna Wenström, Ilkka Ratinen

Faculty of Education

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter › Scientific › peer-review

1 Citation (Scopus)

Abstract

In the contemporary world, demands for ethical and socially sustainable management practices have emerged. More research is needed on ethical decision-making, but also on leaders’ personal well-being and career sustainability. This study focused on leaders taking part in positive leadership training applying the Six-Step (6xS) Positive Leadership Program as a framework. The purpose of the study was to enhance the general understanding of how leaders reflect the development of an authentic leadership identity during the 6xS program. Narrative research data was collected from leaders (N = 88) and an analysis of the narratives was conducted. As a result of the analysis two categories of description were formed: narrated meaning of self-awareness in leadership identity and narrated meaning of collegiality in leadership identity. The results of this study show that the 6xS program can support the emergence of authentic leadership identity. Furthermore, it has implications for positive leadership development programs.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Positive Leadership
Subtitle of host publication	Research-based Insights of the Future of Leadership
Editors	Satu Uusiautti, Sanna Wenström
Place of Publication	Cham
Publisher	Palgrave Macmillan
Chapter	2
Pages	17-39
Number of pages	23
ISBN (Electronic)	978-3-032-02369-8
ISBN (Print)	978-3-032-02368-1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-032-02369-8_2
Publication status	Published - 2026
MoEC publication type	A3 Part of a book or another research book

Keywords

leadership
managers and executives
identity
reflection
well-being
narrativity
organisational psychology
group identity

Field of science

Business and management
Administrative science

Access to research output

10.1007/978-3-032-02369-8_2Licence: In Copyright

Citation for this output

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title = "Six Steps to Authentic Leadership: Findings from the Implementation of a Positive Leadership Development Program",

abstract = "In the contemporary world, demands for ethical and socially sustainable management practices have emerged. More research is needed on ethical decision-making, but also on leaders{\textquoteright} personal well-being and career sustainability. This study focused on leaders taking part in positive leadership training applying the Six-Step (6xS) Positive Leadership Program as a framework. The purpose of the study was to enhance the general understanding of how leaders reflect the development of an authentic leadership identity during the 6xS program. Narrative research data was collected from leaders (N = 88) and an analysis of the narratives was conducted. As a result of the analysis two categories of description were formed: narrated meaning of self-awareness in leadership identity and narrated meaning of collegiality in leadership identity. The results of this study show that the 6xS program can support the emergence of authentic leadership identity. Furthermore, it has implications for positive leadership development programs.",

keywords = "leadership, managers and executives, identity, reflection, well-being, narrativity, organisational psychology, group identity",

author = "Kristina Str{\"o}m and Sanna Wenstr{\"o}m and Ilkka Ratinen",

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year = "2026",

doi = "10.1007/978-3-032-02369-8\_2",

language = "English",

isbn = "978-3-032-02368-1",

pages = "17--39",

editor = "Satu Uusiautti and Sanna Wenstr{\"o}m",

booktitle = "Positive Leadership",

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Six Steps to Authentic Leadership: Findings from the Implementation of a Positive Leadership Development Program. / Ström, Kristina; Wenström, Sanna; Ratinen, Ilkka.
Positive Leadership: Research-based Insights of the Future of Leadership. ed. / Satu Uusiautti; Sanna Wenström. Cham: Palgrave Macmillan, 2026. p. 17-39.

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter › Scientific › peer-review

TY - CHAP

T1 - Six Steps to Authentic Leadership

T2 - Findings from the Implementation of a Positive Leadership Development Program

AU - Ström, Kristina

AU - Wenström, Sanna

AU - Ratinen, Ilkka

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2026.

PY - 2026

Y1 - 2026

N2 - In the contemporary world, demands for ethical and socially sustainable management practices have emerged. More research is needed on ethical decision-making, but also on leaders’ personal well-being and career sustainability. This study focused on leaders taking part in positive leadership training applying the Six-Step (6xS) Positive Leadership Program as a framework. The purpose of the study was to enhance the general understanding of how leaders reflect the development of an authentic leadership identity during the 6xS program. Narrative research data was collected from leaders (N = 88) and an analysis of the narratives was conducted. As a result of the analysis two categories of description were formed: narrated meaning of self-awareness in leadership identity and narrated meaning of collegiality in leadership identity. The results of this study show that the 6xS program can support the emergence of authentic leadership identity. Furthermore, it has implications for positive leadership development programs.

AB - In the contemporary world, demands for ethical and socially sustainable management practices have emerged. More research is needed on ethical decision-making, but also on leaders’ personal well-being and career sustainability. This study focused on leaders taking part in positive leadership training applying the Six-Step (6xS) Positive Leadership Program as a framework. The purpose of the study was to enhance the general understanding of how leaders reflect the development of an authentic leadership identity during the 6xS program. Narrative research data was collected from leaders (N = 88) and an analysis of the narratives was conducted. As a result of the analysis two categories of description were formed: narrated meaning of self-awareness in leadership identity and narrated meaning of collegiality in leadership identity. The results of this study show that the 6xS program can support the emergence of authentic leadership identity. Furthermore, it has implications for positive leadership development programs.

KW - leadership

KW - managers and executives

KW - identity

KW - reflection

KW - well-being

KW - narrativity

KW - organisational psychology

KW - group identity

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105042931010

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U2 - 10.1007/978-3-032-02369-8_2

DO - 10.1007/978-3-032-02369-8_2

M3 - Chapter

SN - 978-3-032-02368-1

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EP - 39

BT - Positive Leadership

A2 - Uusiautti, Satu

A2 - Wenström, Sanna

PB - Palgrave Macmillan

CY - Cham

ER -

Six Steps to Authentic Leadership: Findings from the Implementation of a Positive Leadership Development Program

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