Metaphors We Lead By: Understanding Leadership in the Real World

by Alvesson; Mats

• ISBN13: 9780415568456
• ISBN10: 0415568455
• Format: Nonspecific Binding
• Copyright: 2010-12-18
• Publisher: Routledge

Summary

We live in a leadership-obsessed society. The result is that we assume nearly any social or economic ill can be mended through better leadership. Sometimes, this commitment to leadership is followed by hero worshipping, wishful thinking and misplaced hope.Seeking to understand the faith we place in leadership, the authors draw on a number of in-depth studies of managers trying to "do" leadership. It presents six metaphors for the leader: as gardener, cosy-crafter, saint, cyborg, commander and bully. Some of these offer unexpected insights into how leadership does and does not work. The book sheds light on a varied - often contradictory and sometimes darker - side of leadership.Cutting through the management-speak drenched current literature on leadership, Understanding Leadership presents an enlightening and refreshing understanding of an important topic. It will be useful reading for students and researchers, as well as the thinking manager.

Author Biography

Mats Alvesson is Professor of Business Administration at the Lund University, Sweden. He is also affiliated with University of Queensland Business School. Another of his recent books, CHANGING ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE, is also available from Routledge. Andr Spicer is an Associate Professor of Organisation Studies at Warwick Business School, University, of Warwick, UK. He is also a visiting research fellow at Lund University, Sweden. His recent publications (as co-author) include UNMASKING THE ENTREPRENEUR and UNDERSTANDING CORPORATE LIFE.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements	p. vii
List of contributors	p. viii
Introduction	p. 1
Theories of leadership	p. 8
Metaphors for leadership	p. 31
Leaders as saints: leadership through moral peak performance	p. 51
Leaders as gardeners: leadership through facilitating growth	p. 76
Leaders as buddies: leadership through making people feel good	p. 96
Leaders as commanders: leadership through creating clear direction	p. 118
Leaders as cyborgs: leadership through mechanistic superiority	p. 138
Leaders as bullies: leadership through intimidation	p. 162
Communicating leadership metaphors	p. 180
Conclusion	p. 194
References	p. 206
Index	p. 219
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