Series 2, Episode 46: Why authentic, ethical, and servant leadership, are not true representations of leadership behaviors, with Professor Thomas Fischer, University of Geneva

Brain for Business

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Series 2, Episode 46: Why authentic, ethical, and servant leadership, are not true representations of leadership behaviors, with Professor Thomas Fischer, University of Geneva

Laurence Knell

and

Thomas Fischer

Jul 17, 2024

Transcript

A recent paper in the journal Leadership Quarterly explores the very nature of leadership styles and how they play out, ultimately asserting that “the common finding that positive leadership styles lead to positive outcomes […] might be an artifact of conflation rather than a reflection of reality” (p. 1).

Yet what are positive leadership styles and why have generations of leadership researchers so badly misinterpreted their impact?

Joining me on the Brain for Business podcast to discuss the findings of the paper is one of its co-authors, Professor Thomas Fischer of the University of Geneva.

About Thomas Fischer

Thomas Fischer is an Associate Professor at the University of Geneva and is the Yearly Review Editor of The Leadership Quarterly, the premier journal fully dedicated to leadership research.

Thomas Fischer’s work focuses on managing people in organizations, and in particular on two topics. First, the conceptualization and measurement of leadership styles. Second, how people talk about their own leadership and whether their practice lives up to what they preach.

Details of the articles discussed in the podcast are as follows:

Fischer, T., Dietz, J., & Antonakis, J. (2024). A fatal flaw: Positive leadership style research creates causal illusions. The Leadership Quarterly, 101771. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1048984323000978

Fischer, T. (2023). Measuring behaviors counterfactually. The Leadership Quarterly, 34(6), 101750. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1048984323000760

Fischer, T., & Sitkin, S. B. (2023). Leadership styles: A comprehensive assessment and way forward. Academy of Management Annals, 17(1), 331-372. https://journals.aom.org/doi/10.5465/annals.2020.0340

Alvesson, M., & Blom, M. (2022). The hegemonic ambiguity of big concepts in organization studies. Human Relations, 75(1), 58-86. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0018726720986847

Discussion about this podcast

Brain for Business

The Brain for Business, Brain for Life podcast takes the lessons from evidence-based academic research in the brain, behavioural and organisational sciences - neuroscience, psychology, behavioural economics and more - and brings them to life for a business and organisational audience.

Over the series we will speak to a range of neuroscientists, psychologists, behavioural economists, researchers and organisational practitioners, and look at some of the key aspects of human behaviour relevant to business and management practice. In so doing, we will seek to understand not just the what but also the how and the why – and how it can be done differently

Our overall goal? To build a bridge from research into the brain and behavioural sciences to practical, everyday insights and to help leaders at all levels within organisations enhance their effectiveness.

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