Finally, the criticism that authentic leadership places an
inordinate emphasis on the self and individual agency vs. the
self in relation to others is relevant to the gendered nature of
authentic leadership. “The emphasis on leaders being true to
themselves so that they can influence others through displays
of their values and beliefs is curiously one-sided” (Eagly,
2005, p. 460). Eagly (2005) proposed that attention be given
to the features of authenticity that exist in the relationships
between leaders and followers, since leadership is about followers’
reactions as well as leader’s actions. The processes that occur
between a leader’s enactment of values and her followers’
connection with those values is a core aspect of relational
authenticity as defined by Eagly (2005).