Leadership and Existentialism: Building a Groundwork

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Gibbs, Stephen P. (2010) Leadership and Existentialism: Building a Groundwork. In: University of Cumbria Doctoral Colloquium, 14 July 2010, University of Cumbria, Lancaster Campus. (Unpublished)

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Abstract

Existentialist thought is an emerging area of significance to leadership learning. This in part appears due to leadership discourse being captured by the modern rationalist tradition; this tends to encourage leadership research to seek at times to present a coherent and unified understanding which some regard as unsatisfying or reductive. This dissatisfaction adds to the idea that leadership is a contested topic as well as open to new paths of enquiry. Existentialist thought offers a thematic that straddles rationalist and non-rationalist discourse as it gives privilege to the totality of existence. Such broad notions leave its links to leadership as tenuous. However, recent leadership research considers key existentialist notions as of renewed interest: such as, freedom, edification and authenticity. Leaders at least appear referent in their practice to these as well as other areas that existentialists find crucial to their 'basket of thought'. Further groundwork in linking these two areas appears a new opportunity for leadership enquiry.
Key words Existentialism, leadership, self, authenticity, rationalism, post-rationalism, freedom

Item Type:	Conference or Workshop Item (Paper)
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Existentialism, leadership, self, authenticity, rationalism, post-rationalism, freedom
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General) B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > B Philosophy (General) H Social Sciences > HM Sociology
Schools:	The Business School
Related URLs:	Author Organisation
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Depositing User:	Stephen Gibbs
Date Deposited:	22 Jul 2010 12:21
Last Modified:	24 Jun 2011 10:11
URI:	http://eprints.hud.ac.uk/id/eprint/8132

Leadership and Existentialism: Building a Groundwork

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