Chapter NineEmbodying Authentic Leadership: An Actor’s Perspective

Marco Aponte-Moreno

Acting can provide valuable insights into achieving greater authenticity by way of becoming a more effective leader. When playing a character, the actor is challenged to strike a balance between the external traits that we tend to associate with a specific character type (e.g., the commanding presence of a president or the seductive allure of a femme fatale) and the truth that defines the character’s humanity. Without this truth, the performance lacks substance and authenticity and instead comes across as superficial.

The purpose of this chapter is to provide insights on acting techniques to nonactors who wish to communicate leadership authentically. I argue ...

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