Leadership has never been more important - and divisive - than it is today. The idea and discourse of the leader remains a critical factor in organizational and societal performance, but there is evident tension between the persistent focus on the critical importance of individual leaders and the increasing emphasis on collective leadership. The Routledge Companion to Leadership provides a survey of the contentious and dynamic discipline of leadership.
This collection covers key themes in the field, including advances in leadership theory, leadership in a range of contexts and geographies, leadership failure, leadership process, and leadership development. Topics range from micro studies to wider political analyses of leadership, taking in unusual but important aspects such as portrayals of leadership in architecture, media, and science fiction. Contributions from 61 internationally renowned authors from 16 countries make available the full range of perspectives, approaches, and insights on the idea of leadership. Providing both a social sciences and a psychological approach, these go beyond common themes to offer diverse perspectives on such topics as emotion and leadership, portrayals of leadership. This volume situates leadership debates and evidence within contemporary leadership crises, while ensuring that the explorations of the issues are of enduring relevance.
With wide and critical coverage of the key topics and potent contextualization of themes in current events, The Routledge Companion to Leadership is the ideal resource for graduate study in leadership.
"Today,there is no shortage of encyclopedias and handbooks on leadership. Yet this excellent collection of chapters, co-edited by a team of accomplished leadership scholars from various fields, marks a most welcome and important addition to the international literature. While too often editors leave the crucial task of developing meaningful distinctions between, for example, conceptualizing, practicing and evaluating leadership, to their readers,this companiondoes a marvelous job ofbringing clarity, structure and perspective to a burgeoning field that has become notorious for its elusiveness. A truly indispensable resource."
Ludger Helms, University of Innsbruck, Austria
"This comprehensive book of leadership essays is an important addition to our understanding of this crucial element of social, economic and political organization in every society. Sophisticated in its framing, wide-ranging in its focus, this a book that will be useful for every student of leadership, regardless of their field."
Stanley Renshon, City University of New York, USA
"Covering a wide range of topics andwritten by experts in the field, this collection will be a valuable resource to all students of leadership looking for the most up-to-date and challenging thinking concerning this ubiquitous yet illusive phenomenon."
Donna Ladkin, Plymouth University, UK
"A 'Companion' is defined as someone with whom one spends a lot of time and with whom one travels. I anticipate that leadership educators and researchers throughout the world will relish the opportunity to travel intellectually in the company of the most interesting and provocative contemporary leadership thinkers who are gathered together in this intriguing volume."
Brad Jackson, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand
