Negative Capability in Leadership Practice: Implications for Working in Uncertainty

Working in uncertainty has become the new normal, but what do leaders have to draw upon when lacking the requisite knowledge? In this book, the authors make a case for Negative Capability, which enables leaders to work in a state of not knowing without simply reaching for old ideas or resorting to habitual behaviours. It is not a practice that can be measured, but its impact in leadership practice is immense and tangible.

Offering fresh insights for leadership students, researchers, and practitioners on the challenges of working in uncertainty, the book offers a novel perspective on Negative Capability as a way of being. Each chapter explores an aspect of Negative Capability through the accounts of leaders and managers who had the courage to explore this way of being and share the stories about its powerful impact. Ultimately, this book explores how a practice of attention can lead to new ways of understanding the role of purpose, leisure, and passion in leadership practice.

Dr Charlotte von Bülow is Senior Lecturer in Leadership at Bristol Business School, University of the West of England, and Founder of Crossfields Institute. After twenty years in the private sector as an entrepreneur, CEO, educator, coach, consultant and governor, her research and publications are anchored in lived experience and practice.

Dr Peter Simpson is Associate Professor in Organisation Studies at Bristol Business School, University of the West of England, and Senior Consultant at Crossfields Institute. As a practitioner and researcher, he has held a range of leadership positions and published widely on leadership, change management, group dynamics, and workplace spirituality.