The End of Leadership. Now, that’s a big call. If I had said it, nobody would have listened – it would merely sound like clickbait crying for attention. But when someone like Barbara Kellerman says those words, it holds a different level of significance. Kellerman is a widely regard leadership expert and the founding Executive Director of the Harvard Kennedy School’s Center for Public Leadership.
Her call is simple: the influence of leaders is falling and the power of followers is rising.
A big part of this is the change in exposure. Now we see our leaders for the human beings that they are – we see their foibles, their fumbles and their errors. This contrast to the god-like status they held when previously we only witnessed them in selected moments.
On the other side of the equation, is the shift from mass media in the hands of the few to social media in the hands of the many. Followers have a greater voice today and are less likely to blindly follow other so-called leaders. The military model of command and control because the few had the vital information to lead the many who did not, no longer holds true.
This slideshow and Book Rapper issue is derived from Barbara Kellerman’s book The End of Leadership. It’s a must-read for all leaders and those in the leadership development industry. Her chapter on the history of leadership from the Greek Gods through to the present is insightful. Plus, The End of Leadership provides a great insight into how social media and social networking is shaping the world – both locally and globally. This book will challenge what you know about leadership.
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