ABSTRACT
In this chapter, we set out how the positive associations surrounding leadership benefit elites. Although some ideas associated with leadership (such as creating a common vision) could theoretically help workers at all levels of the organization, this language has been largely co-opted and put to work in promoting the interests of those in power. One curious symptom of this is found in the aspirational, self-serving language people use on social media when positioning themselves as leaders. We call this ‘me-dership’ (a term adapted from the LinkedIn satirist Mike Winnet). We also unpick the idea of ‘followership’, suggesting that this is an ugly, patronizing term and far more destructive than the traditional, solidarity-conferring term ‘worker’.
