111 This paper pushes the conversation about authentic leadership by introducing the variable of identity. Recent discourse on authentic leadership identifies it as an effective and desirable approach to leadership, but to date the conversation has failed to acknowledge that some in leadership are more able to pursue authenticity given their privileged identities, and others in leadership face more risk in authenticity given their minoritized identities. Using key understandings of privilege and authenticity, along with personal testimonies, we provide recommendations for both those with privileged statuses and those with minoritized statuses on how to effectively embrace and employ authentic leadership. https://ijhem.com/details&cid=111 https://ijhem.com/cdn/article_file/2025-10-05-16-54-25-PM.pdf Volume 11 Issue 02 21 2025-08-01 2025-10-05 no Administration Authentic Leadership Identity Leadership Positionality Privilege none 1583 27 0 Jacob Bucher Regis University, USA Suhad Tabahi Dominican University, USA Nicki Gonzales Regis University, USA Erin Winterrowd Regis University, USA