The Dark Side of Resilient Leaders: Vampire Leadership

While ‘bad’ leaders can include incompetent, oc­casionally self-indulgent, and lazy leaders, an import­ant special category of leader has long been estab­lished in the literature for those whose egotism and ill-will toward others have corrupted ‘good’ leader­ship norms. Such behavior is generally called toxic. This essay further builds on that analysis by exam­ining leaders who are not simply occasionally toxic, but whose whole agenda is to fan division, hatred, and malignant collective delusion. The article first examines good leadership using servant and resil­ient leadership theory. Then it provides examples of varying degrees of toxicity based on eight elements in which good leadership is perverted. Finally, the ar­ticle looks at President Donald Trump as an example of ruthless rapaciousness and whose tenacity (re­silience) enables him to maximize his toxicity over time – vampire leadership.

Ambidextrous leadership: a narrative literature review for theory development and directions for future research

PurposeThis study seeks to provide a narrative literature review of existing empirical research, in order to better understand the processes and theory of ambidextrous leadership, as well as its influence on followers, employees and organizations.Design/methodology/approachData from 26 studies were extracted and synthesied providing a critical discussion about the methodological and theoretical aspects of the studies identified in the review.FindingsIt was revealed the attributes for an effective ambidextrous leader, it was presented the recently proposed concept of ambidextrous leadership theory and it was noticed the main criticisms against the findings of the extant ambidextrous leadership literature. It was also identified many research gaps in the literature which in turn can guide academics in the development of ambidextrous leadership.Research limitations/implicationsThe ambidextrous leadership theory represents a novel and unique approach to the domain of leadership for creativity and innovation. It is shared across hierarchical levels throughout the organization. Leaders have a significant effect on employees' behaviors and should determine its applicability to different situations. Organizations require ambidextrous managers who combine flexible, situational and versatile leadership styles developing ever increasingly new and divergent ideas. Many research gaps in the literature were also identified that can guide academics in the development of ambidextrous leadership.Practical implicationsUnderstanding that ambidextrous leadership is required to significantly influence ambidexterity and innovation allows organizations to direct their leadership selection and development.Originality/valueThis review contributes to the ambidextrous leadership literature by creating a holistic picture of where it has been and where it should go.

An Assessment of Transformational Leadership Theory against a University EAP Pre-sessional Course

The evolution of leadership theory since the Industrial Revolution has been characterised by a shifting of focus from leaders’ qualities to the construction of effective leadership systems and methods. Transformational leadership, as one such theory, has gained traction in educational settings thanks both to its democratic principles and the applicability offered by its value profile modelling. A set of capacities are provided by the theory, with the intention of providing a toolkit for effective leadership which can be adopted by a range of leaders, thus avoiding the need for inherent leadership qualities. The theory continues to face charges of promoting despotism, however, and most importantly of lacking relevance to real-world settings. Through the reflective analysis of a university-based English for Academic Purposes pre-sessional course – a fixed-term, high-stress setting – a grounded assessment of the real-world applicability of transformational leadership theory can be conducted. It is proposed that such courses within the higher education sector pose specific challenges to leadership, due to time constraints, staff retention and pressures on student achievement. The scope for meaningfully engaging staff in structural processes is thus restricted and there is a clear need for an accessible theory which supports a democratic, pluralistic approach to leadership, such as transformational leadership. However, reflective analysis of the leadership methods employed on the course, and an assessment of their correlation to the principles of transformational leadership, reveals a deficit in real-world applicability of the theory and a failure to convincingly avoid the pitfalls of the cult of the leader.

Building leadership capabilities in maternity

BackgroundOver recent years, there has been increasing recognition that effective leadership is critical to establishing positive organisational culture and improving patient outcomes. In maternity, there is a unique interplay between different specialties and disciplines in providing high-quality services.MethodsReview of literature pertaining to leadership and maternity.ResultsGood leadership is the key determinant in ensuring that our multi-professional teams function effectively. The relational aspects of teamworking, linked to safer delivery of services, have been explored in great detail in maternity services. However, there has been less focus on the application of leadership theory in this environment and the impact of interventions used in developing leadership skills within maternity teams.ConclusionsIn this paper, we discuss how leadership theory can be used to understand high profile maternity service failures and how effective team culture, clinical team building and individual leadership skill-development are strong contributors to this thinking. Specific examples are used to describe ongoing work in our drive for improvement and to highlight the current lack of evidence in this area.

Principal’s Leadership Practices during the COVID 19 Pandemic: An Exploratory Study

This qualitative research study looked into principals' leadership practices during the COVID-19 pandemic. It enlisted the participation of five school principals using convenient sampling based on inclusion criteria. To collect data, a semi-structured written interview based on Hersey and Blanchard's Situational leadership theory was used. To display the narratives, the data were transcribed, examined, compared, and carefully categorized into several themes. The findings reveal that school principals employed: 1. Strengths-based Practices; 2. Values-based Practices; and 3. Needs-based Practices. The findings of this study highlighted the need of applying situational leadership practices to strengthen principals' instructional and administrative duties, particularly during times of global crises.

A Theory of Balanced Leadership

This chapter describes balanced leadership theory. It starts by discussing the need for theories for good practical work. A positioning follows, which locates balanced leadership as a middle-range theory between substantive and grand theories. The chapter continues with some of the required information to make sense of the theory. This includes the philosophical stance, which is critical realism, and the theoretical lens, which is realist social theory and its morphogenetic cycle. A detailed description of the theory follows. This description addresses the theory’s constituting variables (the what), the macro- and micro-processes that explain the flow of activities (the how), the internal functioning and its relation to contingency theory (the why), and finally, the limitations and areas of application where the theory holds (the where/when/who). Various cross-references are made to the subsequent chapters in this book.

Museum Leadership in Practice: A New Zealand Case Study

<p>Museum leadership is an under investigated area of museum studies. This dissertation contributes to museum leadership research by applying leadership theory to a case study of the career of Jim Geddes, a museum director who works in the town of Gore in Southland, New Zealand. In 2008 Geddes won Museums Aotearoa's inaugural Individual Achievement Award for putting Gore on the national cultural map by establishing the Eastern Southland Gallery, the Hokonui Heritage Centre, the Croydon Aviation Museum and for expanding Gore's Historical Museum. How did Geddes achieve this successful cultural entrepreneurship in such an unlikely small rural town? The central research question asks how leadership has manifested itself in Gore's museums during Geddes' tenure from 1983 to the present. The theoretical framework draws on leadership theory, particularly the work of Suchy and others, who theorise leadership as a social practice rather than a set of management techniques. Several qualitative research methods are employed including interviews with Geddes and key museum stakeholders coupled with a review of how the media have presented Geddes' work. This research data is then compared against leadership theory, noting the convergences and divergences. The dissertation is the first in-depth New Zealand study to test the application of contemporary leadership theory to one museum leader's practice. The findings reveal that, while Geddes is not a conscious leader, his practice has a striking similarity to the engaging transformational leadership model in terms of stakeholder engagement and the inter-personal and emotional elements of leadership. This research provides a deeper understanding of the career of a successful local museum director, suggesting that a sense of place can function as a mechanism for museum leaders to profitably engage with stakeholders. It also presents the argument that successful leadership is a practice, a mode of operating and interacting with others that if consistently applied can spark a series of positive events for museums and their leaders. After considering the implications of this case study for museum practice, training and professional development, the dissertation concludes with five recommendations to improve museum leadership development in New Zealand.</p>