ABSTRACT
Chapter 7 makes visible some of the assumptions and expectations that underlie and inform narratives that contribute to constructing hegemonic – and by default masculine – notions of leadership. In this chapter we take a critical discourse analytical approach and look at a range of narratives told by celebrity leaders (Leila Hoteit and Sheryl Sandberg), as well as stories recounted by non-celebrity leaders (from India and Malawi) in research interviews. We critically discuss what all these stories do with regard to conceptualisations of leadership and the construction of normative ways of doing leadership and being a successful leader. In line with critical leadership studies, we particularly focus on those stories that resist and challenge hegemonic notions of leadership, for example by rejecting common expectations about leaders and leadership, and often providing concrete alternatives.
