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The Essence of Leadership? Existentialism and Leadership

John Lawler

University of Leeds, UK, J.A.lawler{at}leeds.ac.uk

The article outlines dominant themes in existential thinking and considers what this perspective might offer in developing our understanding of leadership. It explores existential concepts primarily using the writings of Sartre. The existential focus on the concepts of essence and existence is outlined and the current concerns with essentialism discussed in relation to this philosophical approach. The article notes that much research into leadership takes an objectivist approach which, while providing important insights into dimensions of leadership, fails to capture the subjective experience of the leadership relationship. The discussion then details existential themes such as freedom, responsibility and meaninglessness and discusses what questions these provoke for the further study of leadership.

Key Words: essence • existentialism • freedom • leadership • Sartre

Leadership, Vol. 1, No. 2, 215-231 (2005)
DOI: 10.1177/1742715005051860
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