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Jeffrey Pfeffer: stop selling leadership malarkey

Brian Leavy (Dublin City University)

Strategy & Leadership

ISSN: 1087-8572

Article publication date: 21 March 2016

2366

Abstract

Purpose

For insights into the debate between consultants who advocate authentic, character-based leadership and those that believe leadership is primarily an exercise of political power, S & L interviewed Professor Jeffrey Pfeffer, author of Leadership BS: Fixing Workplaces and Careers One Truth at a Time.

Design/methodology/approach

Professor Pfeffer believes “By any measure or set of relevant measures, the leadership industry has failed and continues to do so.” The interviewer asks him why he reached this conclusion and what implications this has for practitioners.

Findings

Simply put, leaders need to be true to what others need from them, not to how they may be feeling.

Practical implications

Professor Pfeffer offers a reminder of the enduring functionality of political skills and acumen in the workplace, which many adherents of the “inspirational leadership” approach don’t seem to want to embrace.

Originality/value

Professor Pfeffer offers a no-holds-barred account of the intersection of modern workplace realities and self-interested leadership.

Keywords

Citation

Leavy, B. (2016), "Jeffrey Pfeffer: stop selling leadership malarkey", Strategy & Leadership, Vol. 44 No. 2, pp. 3-9. https://doi.org/10.1108/SL-01-2016-0003

Publisher

:

Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2016, Emerald Group Publishing Limited

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