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

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.