The Paradoxes of Leadership: The Contribution of Aristotle

Abstract

Collins's (2001a) findings that great leaders possess a paradoxical combination of traits have, for the most part, left the leadership community unresponsive despite their potential implications for conceptualizing leadership. Playful metaphors and alluring ideas that underpin present-day leadership theory provide many insights into leadership, but seem to be unable to explain the complex and contextual nature of leadership. At a time when a host of examples attest to the limitations of understanding leadership in creative yet simplistic ways, findings that incorporate the notion of complexity require closer scrutiny. In this article, the author uses Collins's research as a starting point for addressing the salience of a holistic understanding of leadership. Specifically, the author provides an explanation of the paradoxical combination of leadership traits by invoking Aristotle's philosophy, and, in particular, the complexity inherent in his teleological, ethical, and action-oriented view of the world. Ramifications of a narcissistic approach to leadership are addressed as an illustration of the perils of an overly simplistic and decontextualized understanding of leadership.

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