Learning from poor leadership practice

Abstract

Poor leadership practice is not inconsequential. It has material effects yet is rarely considered in leadership research and learning. We explore what poor leadership practice ‘looks and feels like’, provide space for those on the ‘receiving end’ to be heard and discuss leadership learners’ responses to the study. We illustrate poor leadership practice empirically as humiliation, chaos, lack of care, abdication and abandonment and extend conceptualisation of poor leadership practice to include ever-changing excessive decision-making and lack of care. The study contributes novel insights, empirically highlighting the practical implications and theorising the emotional pain, loss of respect, trust and dignity for those subject to the practice. With agency, people struggle, bargain with and work around poor leadership practice. The extended accounts are a rich learning resource for leadership learning, with utility in provoking learning, raising consciousness to and challenging poor leadership practice.