Reflexive Leadership

Mats Alvesson works at Lund University and also part-time at the University of Queensland and Cass Business School, City University. He has published about thirty books on critical theory, organizational culture, leadership, gender and qualitative and reflexive methods. Stefan Sveningsson is Professor of Business Administration at the School of Economics and Management, Lund University. He has been visiting researcher at Cardiff Business School, Melbourne University, University of Sydney and Auckland Business School. His research includes leadership, managerial work, strategic and organizational change and organization of knowledge intensive work. He has published several books and journal articles. Recent books include Changing Organizational Culture (2ed, Routledge, 2015, with M Alvesson), Managerial Lives: Leadership and Identity in an Imperfect World (Cambridge University Press, 2016, with M Alvesson), and Reflexive Leadership (SAGE, 2017, with M Alvesson & M Blom).

Chapter 1: Leadership: The Need for a Reflexive Approach Chapter 2: On Reflection and Reflexivity Chapter 3: Perspectives on Leadership Chapter 4: Leadership Beyond Ideology, Harmony and All-inclusiveness: The Case for a More Nuanced View Chapter 5: Leadership and Organizational Culture Chapter 6: Followership and Its Alternatives Chapter 7: Modes of Organizing Chapter 8: Leadership Varieties: The 5P Framework Chapter 9: Constraints on Leadership in Managerial Work Chapter 10: Alignment or Misfit in Leadership Constructions? Chapter 11: Reflexive Group Work on Leadership and Its Alternatives Chapter 12: Reflexive and Unreflexive Leadership Chapter 13: The Reflexive Follower (LIP) Chapter 14: Conclusions: Reflexivity, Trap-awareness and a Suggested Way Forward

There are not many books on leadership that combine critical reflection, rigorous scholarship and a wide range of material. There are even fewer from authors that have actually studied leadership in situ and have something innovative to say on the topic. This book is one of those rare creatures: a treasure trove for the uninitiated and the expert alike: read it! -- Keith Grint This book on reflexive leadership by three deeply-experienced scholars challenges the taken-for-granted assumptions and language of the leadership industry. The authors call for careful, critical thought about how to organize workplaces is a refreshing departure from the "unreflective mindlessness" that characterizes much of the celebratory literature on leadership. -- Robert Jackall Reflexive Leadership challenges you to think differently about leadership. It is a refreshing break from the shibboleths of today's leadership approaches. It challenges you to clarify what leadership is and is not--and motivates you to respond in kind. An excellent read for scholars and practitioners alike! -- Gail Fairhurst This is an exceptionally well written book. It takes us beyond the impossible fantasies about leadership that we so often find in the literature. Using fascinating examples throughout it offers insights that are often surprising and always useful. Highly recommended! -- Professor Dennis Tourish