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Leadership: A Critical Text 2ed Paperback – 15 September 2013

by Simon Western (Author)
4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 26 ratings
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Leadership: A Critical Text 3ed
Leadership: A Critical Text 3ed
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When Simon Western's Leadership text first published, it received rave reviews from students, academics and practising leaders and managers all over the world. Written in an accessible style, the book challenges the notion of the individual or hero leader. Western develops the idea of leadership as a distributed process and provides a new framework for understanding and implementing this. Part one deconstructs leadership, providing a critical review and analysis of the key debates within leadership, part two reconstructs leadership, revealing the three dominant discourses of the controller, therapist and messiah, and a new chapter on eco-leadership develops ideas for a new leadership in 21st century organizations.This widely anticipated second edition has been completely updated in line with recent events and the latest practice and research. End of chapter questions encourage reflection and a new epilogue which brings together the core messages of the book.This insightful and inspiring text draws on Western's diverse consulting experience, combining theory and practice to offer insights into the real challenges facing leaders today. It is ideal reading for MBA and postgraduate students of Leadership, OB and HRM as well as practising managers and leaders.
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Previous page
  1. Print length
    384 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    SAGE Publications Ltd
  4. Publication date
    15 September 2013
  5. Dimensions
    16.51 x 2.54 x 23.5 cm
  6. ISBN-10
    1446269906
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1446269909
  8. See all details
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Product description

Review

'This book provides a unique and much needed voice to the field of leadership studies, and will have a significant impact worldwide' - Professor Jonathan Gosling Director of the Leadership Centre, Exeter University 'An outstanding addition to the Leadership literature. This is an excellent text which takes the field to new heights in the first decade of the 21st century' - Professor Carly L. Cooper CBE Profesor of Organisational Psychology and Health, Lancaster University 'In a highly original way, Dr Western helps us to obtain greater insight into the enigma of leadership. I recommend the book strongly for the reader interested in a book on leadership that goes beyond the obvious' - Manfred Kets de Vries Director, INSEAD Global Leadership Centre

About the Author

Simon Western is CEO and founder of Analytic-Network Coaching Ltd, an avant-garde coaching company whose purpose is to ‘coach leaders to act in good faith to create the good society’ www.analyticnetwork.com.  He is an internationally recognized thought leader on leadership, coaching and organizational behaviour. Taking his unique experience and an unusual theoretical position into the workplace, he draws on critical theory, networked theory, social movement theory and psychoanalysis to help leaders develop new insights, act ethically and create progressive change in organizations. 

 

Simon leads advanced coaching and leadership training courses to develop new ‘Eco-leadership’ approaches to help leaders adapt to today’s disruptive, network society. With over 200 registered coaches across the globe, Analytic-Network Coaching is growing fast. He shares his thinking as an international keynote speaker, academic and is author of three acclaimed books; Global Leadership Perspectives, Insights and Analysis (with Eric-Jean Gautier),  Leadership: A Critical Text (3rd edn: Sage, 2019) and Coaching and Mentoring: A Critical Text (Sage 2012).  Simon works directly with senior leaders on radical change strategies, organizational change and in-depth on personal and leadership challenges, drawing on his psychotherapist background. 

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ SAGE Publications Ltd; 2 edition (15 September 2013)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 384 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1446269906
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1446269909
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 16.51 x 2.54 x 23.5 cm
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 26 ratings

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Auville Powell
5.0 out of 5 stars Super surprised!
Reviewed in the United States on 22 February 2020
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This is an amazing book. I had to read it as part of a graduate school class. I'm almost done with grad school and I dreaded taking another leadership class and reading yet another leadership book. However, this book pulled me in and gave me a totally different perspective on leadership, including concepts and ideas I have never learned about before. As a student, wanting to read a textbook is extremely rare. Highly recommend.
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Roberto
5.0 out of 5 stars Thorough and Full of Riches
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 15 July 2015
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Despite an almost self conscious complexity Simon Western's book is a powerful and ultimately helpful and hopeful critique of leadership theory and practice. Being new to the discipline of Critical Theory, in which Simon's book is rooted, I found it useful to have some early explanation of this approach, which acted rather like a health warning for me. Without it, I would have given up in despair as he spends much of the first half of the book criticising, deconstructing and pulling apart most past and contemporary thinking about leadership. None of it stands up to much scrutiny, was the feeling I was left with. Having said that, his critique was also thorough, scholarly and full of insight. Happily, for me, on page 147 I was greeted by "Part Two - Reconstructing Leadership" which turned out to be an engaging and detailed exploration of the four leadership discourses identified by the author: Controller, Therapist, Messiah, Eco Leadership. This deceptively simple framework, not only has immediate face validity but contains a treasure trove of riches waiting to be discovered. I was especially excited (yes it is possible to get excited by a book on leadership!) by the Eco-Leadership discourse; firstly because it embodied an overtly ethical, ecological and spiritual stance, which is sorely needed in these times, and secondly because it acknowledged the value of the other three discourses (rather than dismissed them) and indeed was shown to be potentially a meta discourse that enfolded the others.

Simon presents some helpful and thought provoking perspectives on developing Eco leaders through what he terms a "formation process" inspired by his stay in a monastery. I also enjoyed the way early on in the book he spent several pages describing elements of his own personal biography which helped the reader understand from where his own values, beliefs and expertise had arisen. At the end of the book, I was please to be brought full circle back to his personal story, though I would have valued this being more than a single short concluding paragraph.

I'd thoroughly recommend this book to students of leadership, to leaders themselves and of course to those who work in the field of leadership development. But I would go further and say that anyone who is interested/concerned about the way our corporations and companies are being lead and the directions they are heading in could find value in the insights, frameworks and possibilities for the future that Simon Western presents.

[Frederic Laloux' book, Reinventing Organisations book makes a great companion to this one. They are both, using quite different language and approaches, pointing to the same issues and resolutions. In my view, Simon's book is more "head" and Frederic's more "heart". Together they are a powerful combination.]
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Dumoulin Aude
5.0 out of 5 stars If your are lost in leadership and need some clarity ...
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 18 December 2017
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If your are lost in leadership and need some clarity and vision this is the book you need to read. If you have to read one book on leadership, read this one.
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Curtis E.
1.0 out of 5 stars Avoid this book, as the title is deceptive.
Reviewed in the United States on 13 July 2018
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Terrible book. Written from a British psychologist point of view on business. Read for a leadership class.
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Portal
3.0 out of 5 stars An assertive book
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 28 April 2014
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This is a necessary read from a passionate advocate. His experience of academic research and as a consultant is interesting.
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