Character, Company and Context: A Practical Framework for Leaders Under Pressure

Abstract

Leadership as practised by individuals, through collective effort and as a social accomplishment is affected by the personal character of the principal actor(s), the company they keep, and responses to more and less controllable aspects of context. These factors (character, company and context) become especially salient during crises. We develop and illustrate this heuristic by reflecting on the lived leadership experience of the first author. We conclude with a discussion of the applicability and limitations of the heuristic, especially where the legitimacy and responsibilities of leaders are highly contested. We thereby address three practical questions: (a) what leaders can and should do to form, strengthen and sustain the contributions of others to their leadership practice, (b) how subalterns, deputies or counsellors can assist a leader in this, and (c) how to develop the readiness and ability of leaders, subalterns, etc. to work in this way.