Page 26 - Performance Leadership

Chapter 1 Setting the Scene • 15

F igur e 1.1
Self, Self-Perception, and External Perception

Self-
perception Self
Self-
perception Self

Match

External External
perception Match perception

Misalignment Alignment

two cognitions (“I want to be liked and keep my position” and “what
they want me to do, doesn’t fit me”).
Self, self-perception, and external perception are interrelated. When
there is a big gap between self-perception and self and/or external per-
ception, you are not balanced and do not display authentic behavior.
Conversely, the more self, self-perception, and external perception
match, the more a person will develop into a balanced human being
(see Figure 1.1). We all recognize authentic people in our personal
lives. They build bridges between others around them and demonstrate
a natural authority.
Exactly the same can be said for organizations and their strategies.
Organizations are living organisms. Like people, organizations are
born; they grow up, mature, and in the end die. Some become old and
wise, others never leave adolescence. Some organizations become pop-
ular, others don’t. Some are dysfunctional, others are authentic.
Authentic behavior and alignment within organizations should be seen
as being the same as authentic behavior and alignment in people.
Many organizations show all the signs of dysfunctional behavior.
Beautiful mission statements describe how important the customers
are, but in reality the managers only think of their own goals. The Web
site describes the values of the organization, but the employees do not
recognize these in daily life at all. This obvious gap between self and
self-perception leads to cynical reactions and a passive-aggressive