The potential use of the Authenticity Scale as an outcome measure in executive coaching

Authenticity, or being true to oneself, has been identified as a key construct related to well-being and the effective performance of leaders. This paper describes the construct of authenticity in the context of existing positive psychology and coaching psychology research. We discuss the Authenticity Scale and its suggested use both as a self-report and peer-report instrument in the context of executive coaching. In order to further develop evidence-based approaches to coaching and coaching psychology we need to extend and develop a broad range of validated and freely available outcome measures which can allow researchers to further develop our understandings of the psychological processes underpinning the purposeful, positive change encapsulated in coaching. The Authenticity Scale may prove to be a useful tool in this endeavour. Keywords: authenticity; positive psychology; coaching psychology; evidence-based coaching; executive coaching; well-being.