Understanding Leadership and Identity in Organizations: Insights From Professor Suzanne Atkin

Leaders inevitably bring their beliefs, fears, hopes, priorities, and values to their role — and a great leader understands how to embody effective leadership as a core part and expression of their authentic self.

That’s the thesis of leadership identity Suzanne Atkin, MS, Professor of Practice and Experiential Learning. Atkin has spent years examining the intersection of leadership and identity, and how these elements influence organizational culture and success. As a professor of practice and experiential learning at Claremont Lincoln University, Atkin brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to her undergraduate classes, where she trains future leaders.

Professor Atkin’s understanding of leadership is richer and more nuanced than traditional models that focus only on authority, decision-making, or goal-setting. Here we explore her valuable lessons on leadership and identity and how to become an effective leader in today’s rapidly changing workplace.

The Importance of Authentic Leadership

Professor Atkin believes that effective leadership is based on authenticity. Atkin’s approach recognizes that a leader’s success is tied to their relationship to their own identity.

Leadership involves goal-directed action, Atkin explains, but it’s also a reflection of who you are as a person. “I like the definitions that illustrate leadership as an identity. And there is a goal. We want others to act.”

Atkin says that successful leadership requires more than exerting authority, giving orders, or making tough calls. Leaders must develop the self-awareness, honesty, and courage to act in accordance with their values.

Put simply, Atkin believes that leadership is most effective when it is rooted in being genuine. “You take yourself with you wherever you go,” says Atkin. “So, the best leader, of course, is the most authentic and transparent version of you.”

“All of Us Are Leaders”: Role Models and Responsibility

In contrast to traditional theories of leadership that solely focus on the character traits of C-suite executives, directors, and middle managers, Professor Atkin emphasizes that everyone is a leader.

“All of us are leaders,” Atkin says.  “Are you a leader if you have no followers? Well, identity says you still are a leader, because everyone’s looking at you, and you’re leading yourself.”

Atkin’s approach to leadership encourages individuals to take responsibility for their actions — to consider, for example, how their attitude at work can positively or negatively affect the experiences of their co-workers.

Atkin also says there are as many different kinds of effective leadership styles as there are effective leaders working in organizations today. “We have a lot of personalities in the workplace. All of us are leaders. They lead in different ways. We have change agents, we have change leaders.”

So, regardless of someone’s identity or leadership style, or whether they hold the title of executive or supervisor, Atkin stresses that all individuals must embrace their responsibility as role models to others within their organization.

Applying the 80/20 Rule to Identity Leadership

To explain the importance of embracing leadership as an identity, Professor Atkin turns to the 80/20 rule. Also called the Pareto principle, the 80/20 rule is a general guideline (a heuristic based on anecdotal evidence, not verified scientific theory) introduced by the Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto in 1906. Pareto noticed that around 80% of Italy’s land wealth was owned by only 20% of the population.

The 80/20 rule claims that there is often an imbalance between inputs and outputs — sometimes, only a small proportion of efforts, resources, or individuals (the 20%) drive the majority of results (the 80%).

Atkin applies the 80/20 rule to leadership in her classes to suggest that even a few individuals — in particular, those who embrace their identity as a leader — can have a great impact on an organization’s identity. Sometimes, it just takes 20% of an organization’s employees to make a major difference in shaping the organization’s mission, values, and culture.

Leadership as a Process With Purpose

Another feature of Atkin’s philosophy of leadership, grounded in years of experience working in a variety of types of organizations, is embracing leadership as a dynamic, purposeful process.

To explain what this means, Atkin encourages her students to consider how effective leaders need to recognize people’s shared humanity and the common challenges that all leaders face.

“I’ve worked at the World Bank. I’ve worked in tech. I’ve worked for the Department of Defense. We’re all just a collection of humans,” Atkin says. Despite the differences in their size and structure, all organizations present similar challenges to leaders. For example, when stepping into a leadership role for the first time, a leader at any type of organization might “suffer from low self-esteem, insecurity, not feeling safe, or a lack of resources,” Atkin explains.

Leaders must respond to challenges such as these by focusing on process and purpose, Atkin advises.

First, “keep it about the process, not the person.” By this, Atkin means that leaders need to understand and respond to the unique challenges of their workplace. By emphasizing the process, leaders can help employees understand that change is necessary for the long-term health of the organization.

She explains that effective leaders know when it’s time to step back and assess the situation from a broader perspective. “Don’t take things personally. Fight for rights and ethics….Look at things in a process-oriented way,” she says. They also embrace the fact that organizational change is often a slow process.

As for sustaining the energy to drive long-term organizational change, Atkin suggests that effective leaders should continually check in with themselves, making sure that their own values and actions are in alignment. “Keep it about the purpose, and part of that purpose is showing up the best you can be.”

Atkin thinks that effective leaders also know when to quit or change their course of action to something that aligns with their values. “One of the best things that I’ve learned throughout my years is this: It’s OK to say, ‘You know what? That’s not for me.’”

Vulnerability, Leadership, and Identity

Atkin recognizes that vulnerable leaders create trust and loyalty, as people are drawn to those who are open, relatable, and authentic: “You cannot hide your personality. You can’t hide your identity, and what I mean by that is yes, you can suppress it. Yes, you can resist it. Yes, you can compact it. However, then we see what we call an identity crisis — a leader who is not essentially leading from their identity.”

Atkin encourages everyone — from her students to her executive clients — to embrace their vulnerability. For example, a CEO who is transparent about their company’s financial struggles, even if it’s uncomfortable, can demonstrate virtuous vulnerability. This openness can help employees and board members alike understand the bigger picture and can motivate them to contribute toward overcoming the company’s challenges.

Atkin argues that vulnerability is generally linked to long-term leadership effectiveness while posturing may yield short-term success but can cause long-term damage. Vulnerable leaders are willing to take the risk of being authentic, knowing that doing so can lead to deeper trust, which in turn can enable them to be more effective leaders.

Training the Next Generation of Leaders

As an educator, Atkin is passionate about helping the next generation of leaders understand the complex connections between identity and leadership. She believes that emerging leaders must cultivate mindfulness, transparency, and critical thinking to succeed.

Atkin’s varied experiences have shaped her understanding of leadership and organizational culture. One common thread she sees is the importance of human connection — regardless of the sector or industry.

“We need to show up as the best humans we can be,” she says. Whether they work in the private sector or in government, a strong leader’s strength is always rooted in their humanity.

Ultimately, Atkin’s advice to aspiring leaders is to lead from within. “Be transparent and ethical when you can be,” she says. Understand that your personal identity is a powerful tool that can shape both your leadership and your organization’s culture. “Accept that you are a [role] model — even if it’s a model for yourself.”

Take the First Step Toward a Rewarding Career

Professor Suzanne Atkin teaches her students that emerging leaders must develop mindfulness, transparency, and critical thinking to successfully navigate the complexities of leadership and organizational culture. Leading effectively requires a process-oriented approach that focuses on long-term goals and values.

As she says, “If you don’t have the experience of leading from self, it will be a struggle to be a leader.”

If you are ready to tap into your inner strengths and hone your capacity for authentic leadership, consider enrolling in the online Bachelor of Arts in Organizational Leadership program at Claremont Lincoln University. This organizational leadership program is designed to be comprehensive, providing students with the skills and knowledge they need to thrive in a competitive world, both domestically and internationally.

Find out how CLU can prepare you for success and help you start achieving your career goals today.