Dolly Parton and the Work of Authentic Leadership

What does the passing of Dolly Parton mean to an educator in Melbourne?

I have taken some time to work through that question. I did not want simply to react to the loss of an inspirational woman. I wanted to understand what was driving the outpouring of love and the extraordinary return to her work. Within days, Dolly had become the most streamed artist in the world.

For years, Dolly meant country music and the beloved Steel Magnolias to me. Through a friend who adores her, I learnt more about the Dolly as the entrepreneur and philanthropist. More recently, I began to recognise the leader, moving through the world with grit, grace, determination and humour.

The more I reflected, the more I thought about my own learning about authentic leadership.

As a teacher, I knew what I valued. I wanted feedback to be compassionate and celebratory, while helping students chart their own learning. I wanted safe debate and challenge, along with clarity about what I was asking students to do.

Stepping into middle leadership made authenticity more complicated. How much of my true self should I reveal? Who could I trust? What if another teacher’s purpose did not align with mine? What did I need to hold tight and where could I let go?

Over time, I came to understand that authentic leadership is not about revealing everything or expecting everyone to work as I would. It begins with knowing what you value. The harder work is separating that value from your preferred way of enacting it, leaving room for other people’s experience and professional judgement.

No single quality makes someone a great leader, just as no single weakness makes someone a bad one. Authenticity alone is not enough and grit can become stubbornness when disconnected from reflection and purpose.

Dolly’s public image was carefully crafted, but the values beneath it appeared remarkably consistent. She could laugh at herself without making herself small and protect the value of her work without diminishing others. Her grit kept her moving towards ambitions others dismissed, while her resilience allowed her to adapt without losing herself.

For middle leaders, a useful practice is to name the value you need to hold tight, then separate it from the way you prefer to express it. The value may be non-negotiable but your method does not always have to be.

Perhaps this is part of what people loved about Dolly. She was unmistakably herself, but used her leadership to create possibilities and acceptance for others too.

Reflection questions:

Where are our values already visible in the way we lead?

Where might we be holding tightly to a preferred method rather than the value itself?

What could we loosen to create more room for others’ professional judgement without compromising what matters most?