Leadership the Shakespearean Way

Citation

Mann, S. (2012), "Leadership the Shakespearean Way", Leadership & Organization Development Journal, Vol. 33 No. 8, pp. 798-799. https://doi.org/10.1108/01437731211281649

In the quest to come up with more and more new things to say about leadership, it has become fashionable to garner leadership lessons from the great and good throughout history and from current times. Indeed, this is not the first Shakespearean guide to leadership I have come across, but nevertheless, it makes a fascinating read and Murty is clearly an expert in both the plays of the bard and of leadership theory.

The premise under which Murty operates is that Shakespeare's plays “simply hold a mirror up to life” and his works, therefore, imply that we can all learn from the experiences of the heroes and heroines in conducting ourselves as good leaders even today. This approach drives Murty to combine and interweave his vast knowledge of modern day management gurus and leadership theories, with the words and experiences of various Shakespearean characters to present a new perspective on what makes a good leader and what does not. The aim then, is to use classic material to draw some fresh insights in to leadership as applicable in the twenty‐first century.

Murty starts by reviewing the leadership literature in terms of theoretical underpinning to see what we have learned over the years. Each of the whopping 20 chapters that follows focuses on a different play (and, if you are anything like me, I was hard pushed to name all 20 before reading this book!) – but more than that, takes a different leadership theme as expounded by gurus such as Daniel Goleman or Charles Handy, and examines the play to see how Shakespeare's characters can illustrate these themes. Thus, we have Shakespeare on women leaders, on emotional intelligence and on transformational leadership – all concepts formalised long after Shakespeare's time but nonetheless, illustrated well by his characters.

Each chapter includes a thorough précis of the play in a yellow box as well as beautiful illustrations and, naturally, copious quotes. Lengthy and thorough analysis of the play's central characters and themes make up the bulk of the chapter and the author cleverly interlaces this with modern approaches to leadership. The over all result? A rather complex analysis that reveals a fascinating insight for those leader and managers who love the Bard.

Is this book suitable for non‐Bard fans? To be honest, it is not likely to be bedtime reading or a commute read for those who are not very familiar with his plays. This is a book that requires deep thought to appreciate and is not likely to work by dipping in and out of occasionally. It is probably a great book for English literature or classics students who will surely find a skilled analysis second to none here. But, I wouldn’t say it is essential reading for all, but should find a niche market in those who are perhaps a little jaded with the same old of management texts and want some reading to both further their knowledge of the classics and their leadership skill at the same time; for that this book is a great and valuable combination. I certainly enjoyed reading it and found it a refreshing take on approaching leadership.