Leadership: A Critical Text

Front Cover
SAGE, Sep 18, 2013 - Business & Economics - 384 pages
When Simon Western's Leadership text first published, it received rave reviews from students, academics and practising leaders and managers all over the world. Written in an accessible style, the book challenges the notion of the individual or hero leader. Western develops the idea of leadership as a distributed process and provides a new framework for understanding and implementing this.

Part one deconstructs leadership, providing a critical review and analysis of the key debates within leadership; part two reconstructs leadership, revealing the three dominant discourses of the Controller, Therapist and Messiah, and Eco-leadership discourse. Eco-leadership captures new leadership ideas and practices for twenty-first century organizations.  

This widely anticipated second edition has been updated in line with recent events and the latest practice and research, with end of chapter questions encouraging reflection on key issues.

This insightful and inspiring text draws on Western's diverse consulting experience, combining theory and practice to offer insights into the real challenges facing leaders today. It is ideal reading for MBA and postgraduate students of Leadership, OB and HRM as well as practising managers and leaders.

An electronic inspection copy is available for instructors.

 

Contents

DECONSTRUCTING LEADERSHIP
1
WHY A CRITICAL APPROACH TO LEADERSHIP?
3
WHAT IS LEADERSHIP?
26
ASYMMETRIC LEADERSHIP A BRIEF CASE STUDY
55
AGAINST LEADERSHIP AUTONOMIST LEADERSHIP
70
LEADERSHIP AND DIVERSITY
90
LEADERSHIP AND ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE
107
CORPORATE FUNDAMENTALISM
120
THE CONTROLLER LEADERSHIP DISCOURSE
160
THE THERAPIST LEADERSHIP DISCOURSE
186
THE MESSIAH LEADERSHIP DISCOURSE
216
THE ECOLEADERSHIP DISCOURSE
243
AN OVERVIEW OF THE LEADERSHIP DISCOURSES
281
LEADERSHIP FORMATION CREATING SPACES FOR LEADERSHIP TO FLOURISH
302
EPILOGUE LEADERSHIP IN THE AFTERMATH
322
REFERENCES
331

RECONSTRUCTING LEADERSHIP
147
THE FOUR DISCOURSES OF LEADERSHIP
149

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About the author (2013)

Simon is currently director of Analytic-Network Coaching Ltd, offering a researched and innovative new coaching process, that aims to transform the way coaching impacts on both individuals and organizations. He works strategically with CEOs and leadership teams in complex environments, such as banks and hospital eco-systems to implement whole-system changes. A-Nc Ltd has developed accessible and effective OD change processes, delivered through distributed leadership networks, whilst working with strategic coaching to CEOs and senior teams. This dual approach recognizes the need for alignment and full engagement between senior leaders and employees throughout the organization, to create dynamic and sustainable change. Recent clients include London Business School, Global OD Team HSBC Bank, CEO of international bank, CEO and leadership teams in the NHS, Education sector, not-for-profit organizations and SMEs. Simon draws on an unusually diverse and rich work experience, having previously worked in a factory, as a general and psychiatric nurse, psycho-therapist and Family Therapist, a clinical NHS manager, organizational consultant, executive coach, academic and company director.

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