ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book examines leadership and deconstructs some of the contemporary discourse on what leaders are and what they do. It shows that much contemporary literature on leadership is profoundly contradictory and at the same time hopelessly idealises the role of leader. The book demonstrates that leadership is a social and improvisational activity that arises in groups of people whose identities arise in acts of mutual recognition. It examines separation of leadership from management and shows that leaders are as constrained as everyone else in the organisational context. The book discusses the tripartite vision/mission, values and strategy to explore the thinking that underpins much strategic planning which is widely practised in many organisations. It focuses on performance management and explores how possible it is to judge the performance of individuals who work in groups.
