Greg Mortenson as an Authentic Leader

However, if what the media, 60 Minutes, discovered about Greg was true, then his transparency and moral reasoning are flawed. In addition, he did not stand up for himself, which substantiate the assertion of unethical behavior. Authentic leadership aims to determine if a leader is genuine, as an authentic leader is open, self-aware, honest, and self-regulating (Bishop, 3). Based on the case study, A Leader under Fire, Greg Mortenson has a challenging time being asserted as an authentic leader, as this paper will discuss. Greg Mortenson is a former nurse who became a hero after erecting a couple of schools in the rural areas of Pakistan and Afghanistan. Moral reasoning means the idea of perceiving what is wrong or right (Bishop, 6). On the other hand, transparency is the state of being open and honest (Datta, 67).

Transparency and moral reasoning are evident in Greg Mortenson’s leadership. Greg illuminates moral reasoning when he takes the initiative to establish education institutions under the CAI program, which educate over 70, 000 students (Fabiana, Edivandro, and Fransisco, 7). Establishing schools was beneficial, as it would offer the students with the opportunity to improve their lives. Arguably, leaders should use their position to benefit their followers. In the case study, however, Greg mismanages funds for the CAI program for individual satisfaction. Lastly, Greg illuminates unauthentic leadership through dishonesty. Greg, while in his leadership position, had lied that all education institutions under the CAI program were operational. When the media investigated the program, they found that some of the schools erected under the program were either abandoned or not operational.