The first edition of this popular and acclaimed book quickly became a favourite among students for the engaging way in which it guided them through the cacophony of competing perspectives and models of leadership. This new edition includes an expanded discussion of hot topics like followership, gender, ethics, authenticity and leadership and the arts set against the backdrop of the global financial crisis. In teaching you how to critically appraise and work with leadership theories rather than faithfully accept them, this book will not merely make you a better student of leadership; it could make you a better leader too.

An engaging guide through the cacophony of competing perspectives and models of leadership, the new edition includes an expanded discussion of contemporary topics like followership, gender, ethics, authenticity, and leadership and the arts, set against the backdrop of the global financial crisis. Conceived by Chris Grey as an antidote to conventional textbooks, each book in the ‘Very Short, Fairly Interesting and Reasonably Cheap’ series takes a core area of the curriculum and turns it on its head by providing a critical and sophisticated overview of the key issues and debates in an informal, conversational and often humorous way. Suitable for students of leadership, professionals working in organizations and anyone curious about the workings of leadership.

Relevant across a range of management courses, the Second Edition of A Very Short Fairly Interesting and Reasonably Cheap Book About Studying Organizations offers students a lively, focused and challenging discussion of classical and current ideas about organizations and their management. Building on the hugely popular first edition, a new chapter explores the relationship between organization theory and behaviour as it exists today. Chris Grey shies away from the sterility of conventional textbooks, offering students an accessible and palatable overview of the field of organization studies that questions and challenges the traditional literature.

′If strategy is the queen of business, then this book offers us the perfect introduction to her court! It is accessible, lively, and informative. The book repays the reader with wonderful account of how strategy works. It also lets the reader in on some of the darker secrets of strategy′ - André Spicer, Associate Professor of Organisation Studies, Warwick Business School Studying Strategy is a welcoming, lively and thought provoking account that helps students get to grips with strategy′s key issues and broad debates and introduce them to the latest ideas. Conceived by Chris Grey as an antidote to conventional textbooks, each book in the ‘Very Short, Fairly Interesting and Reasonably Cheap’ series takes a core area of the curriculum and turns it on its head by providing a critical and sophisticated overview of the key issues and debates in an informal, conversational and often humorous way. Suitable for students of strategy at Undergraduate, Masters and MBA level, professionals involved in strategic decision making and anyone interested in how strategy works.

Studying Marketing is packed full of lively debate and funny anecdotes covering topics marketing students are familiar with, such as key thinkers and concepts, and some they are not. It looks at areas most textbooks ignore, such as the development of marketing as a discipline and as an academic subject, and raises arguments that students haven′t heard about in their lectures. Conceived by Chris Grey as an antidote to conventional textbooks, each book in the ‘Very Short, Fairly Interesting and Reasonably Cheap’ series takes a core area of the curriculum and turns it on its head by providing a critical and sophisticated overview of the key issues and debates in an informal, conversational and often humorous way. Suitable for Marketing students at Undergraduate and Postgraduate level. Along with professionals involved in marketing and anyone interested in how marketing works.

`Ann Cunliffe has produced a quite brilliant critical introduction to the study of management. This lucid, innovative and thought-provoking book takes a much needed look at the ethical and philosophical issues facing managers in contemporary organizations. A readable, thoughtful and intelligent book that students will love' - John Hassard, University of Manchester Written to inform, challenge and entertain, this book explains alternative ways of thinking about management and managing people in a way that is easy to understand and enjoyable. The book covers topics that are central to management, organizational behaviour or leadership courses: what managers do, motivation, communication, and ethics. Ann Cunliffe breathes fresh air into these topics, emphasizing the importance of relations when thinking about management and drawing on a range of disciplines such as philosophy and linguistics. A trusted and respected academic who has written widely on management, Ann Cunliffe's book will stretch, surprise and reward undergraduate, postgraduate and MBA students.

Books about leadership abound, often generalizing from a heroic leader s own experiences or reflecting the latest incremental advances in scholarly theorizing. Rethinking Leadership is different in that Ladkin questions the key questions of leadership thinking and thus arrives at a radically different conception of leadership. It is a welcome conception that recognizes the embodied, sensual, felt nature of leadership as an ongoing process involving leaders and followers within a particular context. For the complex and challenging times we live in, we need complex and challenging conceptions of leadership and Donna Ladkin has given us an excellent starting place. Steve Taylor, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, US Beautifully written, insightful and novel, this book departs nicely from mainstream views on leadership and can be strongly recommended to anyone wanting a new look on the complexities, meanings and dynamics of leadership and workplace relations. Mats Alvesson, Lund University, Sweden Donna Ladkin s inspiring and informed book breaks new ground in leadership studies. Writing lucidly, warmly and accessibly, Ladkin makes philosophy to bear on some key themes of leadership. Picking up concepts from philosophy s all time greats, she enriches the existing leadership discourse powerfully. Questions of charisma , vision , indeed the nature of leadership itself, are cast in fresh settings, and they become alive. Skilfully avoiding becoming overtly abstract, with a keen eye to examples, Donna Ladkin delivers a delightful, elevating and original contribution to the rethinking of leadership. Esa Saarinen, Helsinki University of Technology, Finland Adopting a post-positivist phenomenological perspective inspired by the writings of Husserl and Heidegger among others, Donna Ladkin crafts a series of philosophical questions that prompt the reader to deconstruct and reposition many habitually held views of leaders and leadership. Through her deep questioning, Ladkin reminds us that wisdom the virtue of practical circumspection is central to the ethical and aesthetic moment of leading. Rethinking Leadership is a refreshing and much-needed re-evaluation of the field, which should be read by anyone with a serious interest in the subject. Peter Case, University of the West of England, UK Writing anything new about leadership might seem like a difficult task these days. Writing anything new and interesting about leadership might seem beyond most of us. Writing anything new, interesting and provocative about leadership is restricted to only a few very talented scholars. Ladkin is one of these very talented scholars she has done all three in a groundbreaking review of the nature of leadership and the questions we should be asking about this phenomenon. Keith Grint, University of Warwick, UK A must-read for serious leadership studies scholars, Rethinking Leadership offers a radical reconceptualisation of leadership as a contextually embedded, physically embodied phenomenon. The book arrives at original and surprising answers to perennial questions such as What is leadership? and How do leaders lead change? , by addressing them from a philosophical, rather than psychological or sociological standpoint. Beautifully written, Ladkin makes complex ideas accessible by illustrating them with practical examples drawn from her wide experience as a leadership academic and management consultant across a range of commercial, political and not-for-profit organisations. A fresh voice amongst the crowded field of leadership studies, Rethinking Leadership delivers not just new answers, but an entirely new way of thinking about leadership and its role in contemporary society.