Paradox and Power in Caring Leadership

Why does it matter that our leaders care about us? What might we reasonably expect from a caring leader, and what price are we prepared to pay for it? Is caring leadership something 'soft', or can it be linked to strategy and delivery? International scholars from the fields of ancient and modern philosophy, psychology, organization studies and leadership development offer a strikingly original debate on what it means for leaders to care. At a time when the challenges of leadership are rarely out of the headlines, this ground-breaking work takes us beyond the demand that leaders should be competent at what they do, and into the moral and emotional politics of their influence on others. Debates include the costs of caring both too much and too little, the connections between care and feelings, how care affects the self, and caring leadership as collective responsibility. A key resource for scholars and practitioners in leadership and management, cultural studies, sociology and politics, this book offers an exciting, multi-disciplinary perspective on one of the most fascinating topics in contemporary leadership debates.