Leadership and Neuroscience: Current Controversies and New Evidence

Abstract

In the pursuit to better understand leadership, scholars are increasingly considering the application of neuroscience methods such as EEG and fMRI. These new methods offer unique advantages over existing methods. Thus they hold the potential to reshape and expand existing theories of leadership as well as to generate new research questions and new theoretical perspectives. In this symposium we bring together a select group of leadership scholars who have already applied neuroscience methods in their research. They present ideas and evidence based on those new methods to address research questions about ethical leadership, abusive leadership, leaders’ decision-making, and leadership coaching. Together, their presentations offer insights and inspiration about how neuroscience methods can be successfully employed in leadership research. The symposium will conclude with a discussion about opportunities and challenges in pursuing leadership research with neuroscience methods.