Table Of Contenty
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We live in a leadership—obsessed society. The result is that we assume nearly any
social or economic ill can be mended through better leadership. Sometimes, this
commitment to leadership is followed by hero worshipping, wishful thinking and
misplaced hope.
Seeking to understand the faith we place in leadership. the authors draw on a
number of in-depth studies of managers trying to "do" leadership. It presents six
metaphors for the leader: as gardener, buddy. saint. cyborg, commander and bully.
Some of these offer unexpected insights into how leadership does and does not
work. The book sheds light on a varied — often contradictory and sometimes darker
- side of leadership.
Cutting through the management speak—drenched current literature on leadership.
METAPHORS WE LEAD BY presents an enlightening and refreshing understanding of an
important topic. It will be useful reading for students and researchers, as well as
the thinking manager.
Mats Alvesson is Professor of Business Administration at the Lund University.
Sweden. He is also affiliated with University of Queensland Business School.
Another of his recent books, CHANGING ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE. is also available
from Routledge.
André Spicer is an Associate Professor of Organisation Studies at Warwick
Business School, University of Warwick, UK. He is also a visiting research fellow at
Lund University. Sweden. His recent publications [as cor-author] include UNMAE’KWG
THE ENTREPRENEUR and UNDERSTANDING CORPORATE LIFE.
g Roufledge
ISBN 978-0-415-5 6845-6
Taylor & Francis Group
2 Park Square, Milton Park,
Abingdnn, Oxon, 0X14 4RN 0415 568456N
711 Third Avenue, New York, N? mm 7
wwwoudedgesom
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METAPHORS WE LEAD BY
I;
We live in a leadership-obsessed society. The result is that we assume nearly
any social or economic ill can be mended through better leadership. Sometimes,
this commitment to leadership is followed by hero worshipping, wishful
thinking and misplaced hope.
Seeking to understand the faith we place in leadership, the authors draw
on a number of in-depth studies of managers trying to ”do” leadership. It
presents six metaphors for the leader: as gardener, buddy, saint, cyborg,
commander and bully. Some of these offer unexpected insights into how
leadership does and does not work. The book sheds light on a varied — often
contradictory and sometimes darker — side of leadership.
Cutting through the management speak—drenched current literature on
leadership, Metaphors We Lead By presents an enlightening and refreshing
understanding of an important topic. It will be useful reading for students and
researchers, as well as the thinking manager.
Mats Alvesson is Professor of Business Administrationat Lund University,
Sweden. He is also affiliated with University of Queensland Business School.
Another of his recent books,C hanging Organizational Culture, is also available
from Routledge.
André Spicer is an Associate Professor of Organisation Studies at Warwick
Business School, University of Warwick, UK. He is also a visiting research
fellow at Lund University, Sweden. His recent publications (as co-author)
include Unmasking the Entrepreneur and Understanding Corporate Life.
METAPHORS WE LEAD BY
Understanding leadership
in the real world
Edited by Mats Alvesson and André Spicer
E Roufledge
Taylor & Francis Group
LONDON AND NEW YORK
First published 2011
by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park,A bingdon, Oxon, OX14 4RN
Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada
by Routledge
711 Third Avenue, New York,N Y 10017
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor 6’ Francis Group, an informa business
© 2011 Mats Alvesson 8r André Spicer for selection and editorial matter;
individual contributors their contribution
Typeset in Aldus and Gill Sans by
Florence Production Ltd, Stoodleigh, Devon
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or
reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical,
or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying
and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system,
without permission in wjriting from the publishers.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Understanding leadership in the real world: metaphors we lead by/e dited
by Mats Alvesson 8r André Spicer.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
1. Leadership. 2. Metaphor. I. Alvesson, Mats, 1956—.
II. Spicer, André.
HM1261.U53 2011
303.3'4—dc22 2010018266
ISBN:9 78-0-415-56844-9 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-0-415-56845-6 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-0-203-84012-2 (ebk)
...S3QNTE.NTS
Acknowledgements
Vii
List of contributors
viii
Introduction
Mats Alvesson and André Spicer
Theories of leadership
Mats Alvesson and André Spicer
Metaphors for leadership 31
André Spicer and Mats Alvesson
Leaders as saints: leadership through moral
peak performance 51
Mats Alvesson
Leaders as gardeners: leadership through
facilitating growth 76
Tony Huzzard and Sverre Spoelstra
Leaders as buddies: leadership through making
people feel good 96
Stefan Sveningsson and Martin Blom
Leaders as commanders: leadership through creating
clear direction 118
André Spicer
Leaders as cyborgs: leadership through mechanistic
superiority 138
Sara Louise Muhr
vi Contents
9 Leaders as bullies: leadership through intimidation 162
Dan Kéirreman
10 Communicating leadership metaphors 180
Gail Fairhurst
11 Conclusion 194
André Spicer and Mats Alvesson
References 206
Index 219
AC.K NQWLEDG EME NTS
We are grateful to our colleagues Johan Alvehus, Magnus Larsson, Susanne
Lundholm and Robert Wenglén for contributing with empirical work in the
various research projects that this book draws upon. The research has been
funded by Handelsbankens Research Foundation and Swedish Council for
Working Life and Social Research (PAS).
MA8tAS
