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"Borrow techniques, practise them, get feedback, and keep what genuinely works," Prof An Nguyen advises to managers growing into their leadership style.
The pressure to conform at work is often treated as part of becoming a successful leader. Yet expecting people to adopt a “professional” persona can come at the expense of authenticity, confidence and, ultimately, effective leadership.
An Nguyen, Professor at HIM Business School, argues that organisations need to rethink what they expect from leaders. Rather than encouraging leaders to fit an already defined model of what one should sound, act or communicate like, we should create the conditions for people to develop their own leadership style and bring their personality into the workplace.
In this exclusive, Aditi Sharma Kalra speaks to Prof Nguyen about why organisations should stop expecting employees to fit a particular leadership mould and what HR leaders can do to ensure people do not feel they have to become someone else to succeed.
Read on for the interview:
Q You've done a lot of work into what successful leadership looks like. Why do organisations need to have this fairly fixed notion of what a leader should sound, look, or behave like?
People use mental shortcuts to reduce cognitive load. Research on implicit leadership theory shows that we all carry “leader prototypes”, expectations about how leaders should look, speak, and act, and use them to judge who seems leader-like. Organisations then reinforce those prototypes through promotion criteria, role models, and culture.
The problem is that this can exclude capable people who lead differently. A better approach is to agree on the behaviours that are actually important for leaders in your organisation, such as clarity, accountability, ethical judgement, and developing others, while allowing different leadership styles to emerge depending on the person and situation.
Q Most of us have heard the advice to "fake it till you make it". Do you think that can apply to leaders as well?
Yes, but not as pretending. Herminia Ibarra’s research suggests people often grow into leadership by trying new behaviours before they feel fully comfortable with them: speaking up more, delegating, making tough calls, or presenting to senior stakeholders.
The useful version is to act your way into a new way of thinking. Borrow techniques, practise them, get feedback, and keep what genuinely works. The unhelpful version is hiding uncertainty or copying someone else’s personality.
For example, a new manager may initially feel uncomfortable giving direct feedback. By preparing, practising, and reflecting on the outcome, they can develop a feedback style that feels natural to them over time.
Q Many leaders in Asia worry that being authentic could come across as being less polished, authoritative or knowledgeable. How would you respond to that concern?
It can if “authentic” is mistaken for being casual or oversharing. But authenticity is better understood as alignment between your values, decisions, and actions, something people deeply respect in a leader.
Research shows the effects of authentic leadership vary across cultures, including in more hierarchical settings. Leaders can be both authentic and authoritative by being clear about decisions, explaining the reasoning, following through, and admitting mistakes when appropriate.
Respect for hierarchy and cultural context is not inauthentic; it is situational intelligence. A leader might be more formal with senior stakeholders, for instance, while still being open and consistent with their team.
Q You have shared that employees are often expected to adopt a "professional" persona. Without creating a situation where people are conforming for the sake of it, do you have any advice on how we can guide them to adopt that professional persona in a way that actually benefits their personal branding?
This is difficult because many of us are taught from a young age to respect authority, avoid disagreement, and fit in. In many Asian workplaces, where hierarchy can be strongly emphasised, that can make “professionalism” feel like suppressing your own views.
But professionalism should not mean silencing your voice. Employees can present themselves strategically: be clear about what they want to be known for, communicate in a way that suits the audience, and build credibility through preparation, reliability, and respectful challenge. They can adapt how they speak without abandoning what they believe.
It is also a two-way street. Leaders need to be humble enough to invite ideas, listen without punishing disagreement, and show that challenge can be constructive. Psychological safety research supports this: people speak up and contribute more when they believe it is safe to do so. When leaders make room for different perspectives, employees do not have to choose between being professional and being themselves.
Q What steps can people managers or HR leaders take to create an environment where people feel comfortable developing their own leadership style rather than imitating someone else's?
Make it safe to experiment. People will not try new approaches if every mistake is treated as failure - this will remind them about their parental education; psychological safety encourages learning, feedback-seeking, and experimentation.
Managers and HR can define leadership by behaviours rather than personality, showcase diverse role models, set learning goals alongside performance goals, and give feedback on impact rather than style. Instead of saying “be more confident,” for example, a manager might say: “Your recommendation was clear, but the decision criteria were not. Try opening with the decision and the trade-offs.”
Ibarra also recommends exposing people to varied role models so they can borrow what works from different leaders and assemble a style that fits them, rather than imitating one person.
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