In this original text, Simon Western deconstructs and reconstructs leadership to challenge the popular notion of the individual or hero leader, instead using his own framework to present leadership as a distributed process.

New to the third edition:

• A new chapter on leadership symptoms that offers a novel approach to researching and conceptualizing leadership.


• An expanded chapter on "Leadership and Diversity" with Pooja Sachdev.


• Updated material on "The Eco-Leadership Discourse", with the chapter now differentiating between ethical eco-leadership and commercial eco-leaders (e.g Facebook, Google, Amazon).


• Analysis of contemporary leadership trends, including leadership in the gig economy, algorithmic management, and the rise in messiah and authoritarian leadership in populist parties.


• Updated case studies with references to current politicians and organizations.