1. Learning about oneself is an essential step in becoming an authentic leader. What role did self-awareness play in Sally Helgesen's story of leadership?

2. How would you describe the authenticity of Sally Helgesen's leadership?

3. At the end of the case, Sally Helgesen is described as taking on the "mantle of leadership." Was this important for her leadership? How is taking on the mantle of leadership related to a leader's authenticity? Does every leader reach a point in his or her career where embracing the leadership role is essential?

Sally Helgesen is an accomplished author who has written a number of popular books on leadership and regularly speaks on leadership topics. She considers herself a writer, having written books on other topics as well as speeches for a CEO at a fortune 500 company. As a speechwriter, she spent a lot of time observing employees and interviewing them in their companies.

Sally is neither a professor nor a social scientist with a body of theoretical data that supports her writing. She sees herself as an author, not an expert, and presents herself for who she is: a skilled observer of current issues and a writer.

Sally is an authentic leader who has self-awareness, relational transparency, and an internalized moral perspective.