Who influences our thinking

The purpose of this post is to introduce you to some of the thinkers who have influenced us in beginning this project. The blurbs and links may provide you with some further resources for thinking about both leadership and grassroots development. Please feel free to post your own suggestions in the comments box. The more we share, the more we will learn.

So here is the list (in alphabetical order):

ANN CUNLIFFE is Professor of Organisation Studies at the University of Leeds and is editor in chief of the Management Learning journal. Amongst many other things, Ann has been important in introducing ideas of critical reflexivity into leadership development research. She has also guided Management Learning to a position of influential, critical and authoritative source of research. You can access her academic page here: http://business.leeds.ac.uk/about-us/faculty-staff/member/profile/ann-cunliffe/

BRAD JACKSON is co-director of the New Zealand Leadership Institute and is the Fletcher Building Education Trust Chair in Leadership at the University of Auckland Business School. Brad is co-editor of the Leadership journal and the author of several important books and articles on leadership. His Very Short, Fairly Interesting … book on leadership (written with Ken Parry) is available here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Interesting-Reasonably-Studying-Leadership-ebook/dp/B009KZXBKW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1379301860&sr=8-1&keywords=brad+jackson and you can catch up on all things Brad on his academic page here: http://staff.business.auckland.ac.nz/5087.aspx

BRIGID CARROLL is the director of research at the New Zealand Leadership Institute and author of many groundbreaking critical studies of leadership development. She is currently co-editing a textbook on critical approaches to leadership. You can check out her academic page here: http://staff.business.auckland.ac.nz/5082.aspx

CHANTAL MOUFFE and ERNESTO LACLAU introduced the world to the idea of radical democracy. Both remain essential reading for anyone interested in a critical view of how we relate to politics in our societies. Just type their names into Amazon and get ready!

DAVID COLLINSON is widely regarded as one of the world’s leading critical scholars in the area of leadership. David is Professor of Management Learning and Leadership at Lancaster University and former editor of the Leadership journal. David has a long and illustrious record of publication and research in organisation studies. Look him up on Amazon, and check out his academic page here: http://www.lums.lancs.ac.uk/profiles/david-collinson/ David is particularly known for bringing critical identity and discourse analysis perspectives to the area of leadership.

DENNIS TOURISH is professor of leadership and organisation studies Royal Holloway University of London and co-editor of the Leadership journal. Dennis’ research was absolutely key in demystifying and challenging dominant perceptions of leadership as the possession of individuals. His new book on the dark side of transformational leadership is available here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dark-Side-Transformational-Leadership-ebook/dp/B00EVWK1BQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1379302274&sr=8-1&keywords=dennis+tourish and you can stay up to date with Dennis’ work via his academic page, here: http://pure.rhul.ac.uk/portal/en/persons/dennis-tourish(90abca1f-14e2-446c-a414-a3c689392d90).html

 DONNA LADKIN is Professor of Leadership and Ethics at Cranfield University. Donna made an impact in leadership development through her writing on aesthetics and arts-based approaches to leadership development. Her book, Rethinking Leadership, expanded thinking on leadership through applying a number of philosophical perspectives on the areas of leadership studies and practice. You can get the book here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Rethinking-Leadership-Questions-Horizons-Studies/dp/0857931318/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1379375097&sr=8-1&keywords=donna+ladkinShe has co-edited a collection on critical perspectives on authentic leadership with the University of Auckland’s Chellie Spiller. You can pre-order the book here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Authentic-Leadership-Convergences-Coalescences-Horizons/dp/1781006377/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1379375117&sr=8-1&keywords=donna+ladkin+chellie+spillerTo catch up on all things Donna Ladkin, visit her academic page here: http://www.som.cranfield.ac.uk/som/p2597/People/Faculty/Academic-Faculty-Listing-A-Z/Last-Name-L/Donna-Ladkin

JEAN HARTLEY is a Professor at the Department of Public Leadership and Social Enterprise at the Open University. Jean is the world’s leading scholar in the area of political leadership and is almost single handedly responsible for creating and crafting this important area of study. She is currently embarked on a major global research project on the political astuteness of public servants. You can view her OU academic page here: http://www.open.ac.uk/business-school/people/professor-jean-hartley

JOHN BENINGTON is a Professor at the University of Warwick and is one of the world’s leading public management and leadership writers and scholars. John has pioneered the current resurgence in public value research.

http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/csgr/people/associates/warwick/benington/

KEITH GRINT is often considered the world’s leading critical scholar in the area of leadership. His Arts of Leadership and Leadership: Limits and Possibilities books were groundbreaking – and remain vital reading. Keith’s recent book on leadership and the Normandy landings connect critical leadership theory and historical analysis in an accessible and challenging format. Not to mention Keith’s articles on ‘wicked problems’, ‘phronesis’ in leadership learning and the ‘sacred’ in leadership. Keith is Professor of Public Leadership and Management at the University of Warwick and is a former editor of the Leadership journal. You can access his academic page here: http://www.wbs.ac.uk/about/person/keith-grint/

SIV VANGEN and CHRIS HUXHAM have literally written the book on public collaboration http://www.amazon.co.uk/Managing-Collaborate-Collaborative-Advantage-ebook/dp/B000OT8428/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1379303476&sr=8-1&keywords=vangen+huxham They have also co-authored a body of studies on public collaboration as long as they are influential. Siv is head of department at the Open University’s Department for Public Leadership and Social Enterprise, and you can access her academic page here: http://www.open.ac.uk/business-school/people/dr-siv-vangen Chris Huxham is a Professor at the University of Strathclyde and you can view her academic page here: http://www.intranet.sbs.strath.ac.uk/profile/?2494:christinehuxham

SLAVOJ ŽIŽEK is one of the world’s foremost and (let’s face it) controversial philosophers. His work infuriates and illuminates, mixing Hegel, Marx and Lacan to create something original and intoxicating. His writing on contemporary global affairs, politics and protest are essential reading for anyone seeking both understanding and hope for change. If you are intimidated by Žižek – and there is a lot to be intimidated by – try starting with his Guardian columns: http://www.theguardian.com/profile/slavojzizek

Yannis Stavrakakis is a psychoanalytic and political scholar. His work has sought, amongst other things, to apply an ethics of psychoanalysis to public life and has helped us comprehend the value of public struggle, relationships with authority and grassroots democracy. His books on Lacan and the Political and the Lacanian Left are important contributions to critical scholarship in the area of public life.