KEY CONCEPT

“Zombie leadership” refers to a set of outdated and repeatedly disproven ideas about leadership that persist despite a lack of empirical support. These “dead ideas” flatter elites, appeal to the leadership industry, and offer comfort to individuals seeking control in an uncertain world.

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IDEA SUMMARY

There is perhaps no single nonfiction topic of research and discussion that has received more attention from thought leaders, consultants, business practitioners, academics, and indeed society at large, than the topic of leadership. Yet, according to a team of three academics hailing from Australia, Sweden, and the UK, all of this attention and activity mask the fact that old and ineffective leadership theories and approaches continue to dominate leadership thinking and practice. The world is awash in what they provocatively call zombie leadership: debunked notions of leadership that continue to be propagated because they legitimize the power and privilege of social elites and the leadership industrial complex.

These debunked notes can be further detailed in eight “axioms” (a term chosen to reflect assumptions that are taken as self-evident truths which does more to hamper empirical enquiry than summarize research findings). In fact, as shown here, these eight axioms don’t stand up to scrutiny:

• Axiom #1: Leadership is all about leaders. This view narrowly focuses on individuals in formal roles, ignoring the crucial role of followers, relationships, and collective activity.

• Axiom #2: There are specific qualities that all great leaders ‘have’. While popular, the search for universal leadership traits has largely failed. No matter, because ultimately, leadership success depends not on a list of qualities but on followers’ perception that their leader has the leadership qualities they value.

• Axiom #3: There are specific things that all great leaders do. This axiom suggests universally effective leadership behaviours: another one-size-fits-all aspect of zombie leadership. However, it is the characteristics of a group that determine what actions a leader will want to take.

• Axiom #4: We all know a great leader when we see one. Who is “we”? Perceived consensus on “great leadership” is often a product of shared identity among appraisers. The fact is that different groups will evaluate leaders differently based on shared values and identity.

• Axiom #5: All leadership is the same. This axiom assumes a universal “leadershipness” that can be applied across all contexts. In reality, leadership is deeply tied to the specific group, time, and culture. Leading a football team is not the same as leading a country.

• Axiom #6: Leadership is a special skill limited to special people. This attitude contributes to immense inequality in pay and esteem between high-level leaders and workers leaving these workers less likely to be inspired or motivated by their leaders.

• Axiom #7: Leadership is always good and it is always good for everyone. History provides many examples of leaders having a “dark side,” leading to narcissism, bullying, and exploitation. In addition, effective leadership in the service of evil is categorically not a positive. • Axiom #8: People can’t cope without leaders. Research shows that groups can self-organise effectively without overt leadership, and formal leadership can sometimes interfere with group functioning by alienating members or causing disengagement.

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BUSINESS APPLICATION

How does one combat zombie leadership?

• Return to the Definition of Leadership: The consensus definition of leadership as the process of motivating others to work toward collective goals which implies four points that run counter to zombie leadership leadership is dependent on relationships and connections; there is no leadership if there are no followers; leadership is about inspiring others not coercing them; leadership concerns the activities of a group as much as the activities of individuals.
• Recognize the Threat: Zombie leadership is not just a collection of false claims; it actively creates the problematic realities it describes. For example, by focusing leadership development only on formal leaders, it discourages and ignores potential leadership from within the wider workforce. This mindset results in an unequal world where the contributions of ordinary people are unrecognised, human potential is squandered, and productivity is reduced due to alienated and passive “zombie followership”.
• Counter the Appeal: Businesses need to challenge the comforting but misleading promise of “heroic leaders” who solve all problems. Instead, focus should shift to the demonstrable costs of zombie leadership: it damages leaders through narcissism and complacency, reduces group productivity by alienating members, and diminishes willingness to contribute or provide vital feedback.
• Adopt Alternative Frameworks: To overcome these issues, organizations must move beyond the narrow focus on individual leaders. Effective leadership is a group process, grounded in relationships and connections, where success depends on getting people to want to contribute to collective goals.
• Broaden the Understanding: Champion approaches that see leadership as a process everyone can contribute to, moving beyond the idea that it’s an extraordinary skill limited to a few.
• Rethink Training: Implement new leadership development programs that adopt a whole-group approach, encouraging active involvement from all parties and measuring success through the eyes of all members, not just those at the top.
• Foster Connection: Prioritize strategies that deepen the connection between leaders and their groups, rather than increasing separation through inflated pay or prestige.

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FURTHER READING

Alexander Haslam’s profile at University of Queensland

https://psychology.uq.edu.au/profile/3181/alex-haslam

Mats Alvesson’s profile at Lund University

https://www.lunduniversity.lu.se/lucat/user/091f4799ef44464bd39adb572fc5c3a3

Stephen Reicher’s profile at the University of St Andrews

https://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/psychology-neuroscience/people/sdr/

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REFERENCES

Zombie leadership: Dead ideas that still walk among us. S. Alexander Haslam, Mats Alvesson, Stephen D. Reicher. The Leadership Quarterly (June 2024).

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1048984323000966

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