JOURNAL ARTICLE

Who Are You as a Leader?

  • Published In: Harvard Business Review, 2025, v. 103, n. 2. P. 92 1 of 3

  • Database: Business Source Ultimate 2 of 3

  • Authored By: Ingram, Paul 3 of 3

Abstract

The article focuses on the concept of curating a multifaceted personal identity in the workplace to enhance leadership effectiveness, trust-building, and well-being. Central to this approach is the creation of an "identity map," a tool that helps individuals identify, visualize, and connect diverse elements of their identity—such as career roles, family, interests, and personal traits—to leverage them professionally and personally. Research discussed in the article shows that leaders who embrace a rich, self-directed, and harmonious identity tend to build larger and more diverse professional networks, which correlate with career success. The article also highlights the costs of concealing identity elements, such as reduced network size and well-being, and presents five best practices for managing identity, including cultivating multiplicity, self-definition, and openness. The experiences of entrepreneur and CEO Claude Grunitzky illustrate how an expansive, integrated identity can support authentic leadership and network development.

Additional Information

  • Source:Harvard Business Review. 2025/03, Vol. 103, Issue 2, p92
  • Document Type:Article
  • Subject Area:Psychology
  • Publication Date:2025
  • ISSN:0017-8012
  • Accession Number:182913930
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