ABSTRACT
This conclusion presents some closing thoughts on the key concepts discussed in the preceding chapters of this book. The book explores some of the many paradoxes of leadership theory, practice and development. The rationalist view of organisations, promoted in popular business literature, tends to struggle with the notion of paradox suggesting that leadership and management practice should be underpinned by rigorous, evidence-based principles and best practice. The British poet John Keats called it negative capability and identified it as a quality that marked out creative genius, as detailed in a letter to his brothers George and Tom in which he reflected on the literary achievements of William Shakespeare. The argument for more inclusive, shared and emergent leadership is often framed in normative terms suggesting that it is more ethical or democratic but is increasingly being supported by evidence that demonstrates the limitations of traditional approaches in the face of the wicked issues that require collaboration and partnership across organisational boundaries.
