Leadership Unravelled

Why is it that leaders – in social, political, and (most importantly) organisational contexts – are seemingly unable to address meaningfully the wicked problems and complex challenges that we currently face? There’s enormous busyness around reconfiguring departments and adopting ‘transformational’ operating models, but in general plus ca change, plus la meme chose. Eyewatering amounts of treasure and time are spent in corporate life on leadership development, with people working hard to try and demonstrate that something useful has happened as a result. An entire pseudo-science has emerged to try and prove its worth, in part to justify the economic dividend that goes to those who make it to the upper levels of positional power. The fetishisation of leadership, especially strong leadership, fills our news outlets holding up carefully distorted images of great men (leadership is still deeply gendered) from across the worlds of politics, business, and sports. This book explores the persistently disappeared and unacknowledged constraints that inhibit leaders in every context. It argues that these constraints – defined in this volume in terms of five organisational paradoxes and six management myths – are found at large in society and are especially impactful in organisational life. By calling attention to, and exploring in rigorous detail, these paradoxes and myths, this book helps leaders, and the leadership systems they are part of, to wriggle free of the tacit assumptions that lock them into a cul-de-sac of simplistic prescription and heroic individualism. Once these mind-forged manacles are removed, new forms of leadership practice become possible, ones that are fit for purpose in engaging with a world facing systemic crisis and existential risk. This book is essential reading for leaders and managers at all levels looking for solutions to traditionally simplistic leadership practice and who want to affect systemic change. It will be beneficial to all those in the world of leadership development including business schools and HR departments.

Education Policy Unravelled examines the nature of contemporary education policy, its purposes and political formation. This thoroughly revised edition charts the continuity of policy development along neo-liberal lines, taking a historical perspective broadly from the 19th century and towards the emerging position of the current Conservative government in the UK. This new edition now includes: - the developments in education policy which took place under the Coalition government administration between 2010-2015; - a brand new chapter on policy developments in early childhood education and care; - a brand new chapter on inclusive schools, special educational needs and disability; - new activities and illustrative case studies to challenge and inform students' thinking and understanding around key policy issues; - discussion of new research and recent legislation to illuminate important and emergent issues in education. Written in an accessible style, this is an invaluable guide for engaging with education policy as it uses a variety of key elements of policy theory in order to support students through some of the complexities involved in contemporary policy analysis and critique.

The unique leadership challenges organizations face throughout the world call for a renewed focus on what constitutes "authentic, inclusive, servant, transformational, principled, values-based, and mindful" leadership. Traditional approaches rarely provide a permeating or systematic framework to garner a sense of higher purpose or nurture deeper moral and spiritual dimensions of leaders. Learning to be an effective leader requires a deep personal transformation, which is not easy. This text provides guidelines in a variety of settings and contexts while presenting best practices in successfully leading the twenty-first century workforce and offering strategies and tools to lead change effectively in the present-day boundary-less work environment. Given the ever-growing, widespread importance of leadership and its role in initiating change, this will be a key reference work in the field of leadership and change management in business. The uniqueness of this book lies in its anchorage in the moral and spiritual dimension of leadership, an approach most relevant for contemporary times and organizations. It represents an important milestone in the perennial quest for discovering the best leadership models and change practices to suit the contemporary organizations. Designed to be a resource for scholars, practitioners, teachers and students seeking guidance in the art and science of leadership and change management, this will be an invaluable reference for libraries with collections in business, management, sports, history, politics, law, and psychology. It will present essential strategies for leading and transforming corporations, small businesses, schools, hospitals, and various nonprofit organizations. It brings the research on leadership and change management up to date, while mapping its terrain and extending the scope and boundaries of this field in an inclusive and egalitarian manner.

In an unpredictable world, how do we go about supporting leaders to develop more democratic and inclusive ways of working and living? The second edition of Leadership Development in Practice: A Complexity Approach draws on autoethnographic accounts of experience from practitioners across three continents to explore the leadership development approaches that best support managers to work with uncertainty by taking their experience seriously. It offers an alternative perspective on leadership and organisation for business schools, consultancies, and corporate training functions to adopt in their development of leaders. Additions to this second edition include as follows: A new chapter on creating large group dialogue A more explicit emphasis on what it means to take gender, diversity, and social justice seriously A review of the burgeoning interest in complexity perspectives on leadership and leadership development since publication of the first edition This book is essential reading for leadership and organisational development professionals, researchers, and students. It will also be of interest to managers looking for an approach to leadership development that works with how things are rather than with idealisations of how things ought to be.

Bringing together valuable insights from research and practice undertaken at the world-famous Pen Green Centre, Democratising Leadership in the Early Years illustrates how settings and practitioners can develop and maintain forms of leadership which foster collaborative practices across and within settings and services. Effective leadership is key to establishing socially inclusive and democratic practices and as such, it has become a key concern for policy-makers, researchers and practitioners in the field of Early Childhood Education and Care. Drawing on authors’ first-hand experiences, on systems theory, psychological theory and neuroscience, chapters in this book illustrate the role of highly effective leadership in ensuring that services are accessible, inclusive and innovative. Practical advice will support professionals in overcoming destructive systemic and psychological dynamics to flatten hierarchies, improve relationships, learning and educational outcomes, and to encourage staff, parents, and children to contribute creatively to collaborative enterprises. Accessible and insightful, Democratising Leadership in the Early Years will improve understanding of approaches to leadership and support early years practitioners, students and managers as they develop their leadership skills and build capacity within settings and the wider community.

Most research into leadership has presented leaders as heroic, charismatic and transformational ‘visionaries’. The leader, whether in business, politics or any other field, is the most important factor in determining whether organizations succeed or fail. Indeed, despite the fundamental mistakes which have, arguably, directly led to global economic recession, it is often still taken for granted that transformational leadership is a good thing, and that leaders should have much more power than followers to decide what needs to be done. The Dark Side of Transformational Leadership confronts this orthodoxy by illustrating how such approaches can encourage narcissism, megalomania and poor decision-making on the part of leaders, at great expense to those organizations they are there to serve. Written in a lively and engaging style, the book uses a number of case studies to illustrate the perils of transformational leadership, from the Jonestown tragedy in 1978 when over 900 people were either murdered or committed suicide at the urging of their leader, to an analysis of how banking executives tried to explain away their role in the 2008 financial crisis This provocative and hugely important book offers a rare critical perspective in the field of leadership studies. Concluding with a new approach that offers an alternative to the dominant transformational model, The Dark Side of Transformational Leadership will be an invaluable text for academics interested in leadership, students on leadership courses requiring a more critical perspective, and anyone concerned with how people lead people, and the lessons we can learn.

The hidden truths of leadership - bitter or sweet - revealed like never before! Great leaders are like icebergs. They conceal more than they reveal. Indeed, mystery and the art of retaining it, is integral to leadership. Leadership, then, is more an art than a science. It is not a reality that you can touch, feel and measure, but an illusion that is created by many tricks, which you should be able to learn and practise in a way that others are not able to grasp. This book, written by a serving officer of government, is an eye - opener for anybody who aspires to be a leader, at whatever level - nation, community or a small social group and in whatever sphere - business, politics or administration. Bon voyage!

Drawing on key biblical narratives from the early part of the dramatic life of King David, Fighter Fugitive King highlights David's flaws, and God’s grace to him as a developing leader. Threaded throughout is the application of biblical theology. Applicable to the workplace and Christian ministry today, younger men and those mentoring men in spiritual leadership, will find it an inspiring and practical read that points to another King, one greater than David. Includes reflection questions at the end of each chapter. Commendations “There is a leadership crisis in the world today and this book is a passionate appeal to Christian men to be leaders who lead like Jesus seen through the lens of the life of David. It is clear, theological, challenging and hugely practical. I would recommend this as a disciple making tool for older men to disciple a younger generation.” Guy Miller, Leader of Commission Network of Churches, U.K. “There are many good Bible teachers around. There are also plenty of people who can give wisdom about leadership. What is much more rare is finding somebody who can genuinely unlock the Bible and apply it spiritually and practically to Christian leadership today. Fraser Keay is one such person! In this book his passion and experience for developing younger leaders shines through, but it shines through the biblical lens of the life of David and then onto Christ. If you want a book full of trendy leadership clichés then this isn’t for you, but if you want to grow as a leader and develop leaders yourself, and want to do so trusting God and relying on Jesus, then read on! I’ve spent much time in my Christian ministry working with younger leaders, and my only criticism of this book is that Fraser didn’t write it 30 years ago – my investment into younger leaders would’ve been so much stronger if he had!” Rev. Nigel James, pastor in the Elim Pentecostal Church Movement, based in Cardiff, Wales, U.K. and working in the USA with the Awakening Foundation and around the world in various mission partnerships.