Responsible Leadership: Realism and Romanticism (Routledge Studies in Leadership Research)

It is time for the development of a new kind of business leadership. Global needs call for a revision of market capitalism and a move towards moral capitalism; a move "from value to values, from shareholders to stakeholders, and from balance sheets to balanced development" (Kofi Annan).

With the challenge of this transition in mind, this book argues that it is time for a new understanding of leadership, a new romanticism which looks behind the overvalued, heroic leadership notion. The editors explore a romanticized rhetoric and situate it within current discourses of authentic, distributed and ethical leadership, where societal, economic and environmental challenges require us to take a collective lead towards doing good and growing well.

Exploring this dichotomy of romantic ideal and essential requirement, this book combines the insights of leading academics and with those of practitioners in the field. Thought-provoking and engaging it will challenge both thinking and practice, and is essential reading for all those operating or researching in the field of leadership, particularly those who realize the overwhelming challenges of sustainability, and corporate social responsibility which the world now faces.

Steve Kempster is Professor and Director of Leadership Development at Lancaster University Management School. Prior to returning to Lancaster in September 2012, Steve was MBA Programmes Director at Birmingham University Business School and before that Associate Dean and Head of the University of Cumbria Business School. Steve had previously worked at Lancaster University Management School from 1992 – 2008 and during this period he was Module Director of the International Masters in Practising Management (IMPM), Director of the Leadership Centre, Director of the Northern Leadership Academy and Director of the Lancaster Full-time MBA. Steve is on the governing Board of the International Association of Leadership and the Committee of the Leadership and Leadership Development SIG of the British Academy of Management.

Brigid Carroll is Associate Professor in the Department of Management and International Business and the Director of Research and a lead facilitator at the New Zealand Leadership Institute, both at the University of Auckland, New Zealand. Dr Carroll teaches organization theory, critical organization issues and leadership to undergraduates and postgraduates and designs, delivers and researches leadership to a range of sector and professional groups. Her research interests lie primarily with identity work, discourse and narrative theory, critical leadership theory and practice in contemporary organizations. Her work has been published in Organization Studies, Organization, Human Relations, Management Communication Quarterly and Leadership.