The Arts of Leading

"A fascinating collection of essays premised on the idea that the arts and humanities show and support ethical leadership in its many forms, cultures, and contexts. In a time of rising polarization and tech-fueled disruption, when the public is yearning for trustworthy leaders, The Arts of Leading is essential reading." — Daniel R. Porterfield, President and CEO, Aspen Institute

A deeply insightful approach to cultivating leaders of character centered on the arts and humanities What does it mean to lead? Whom do we consider to be leaders? And how might viewing leadership through the many lenses of the humanities expand our understanding of how it is imagined, represented, and enacted? Drawing on insights from eminent scholars in the classics, philosophy, religion, literature, history, art, music, and the theater, The Arts of Leading reveals the power of the arts and humanities to unsettle common assumptions about leadership and offer new contexts. Rather than instrumentalizing the arts and humanities or reducing them to mere management resources, this series of thoughtful and refreshing essays engages a litany of diverse and nuanced perspectives to uncover alternative ways of imagining and embodying leadership across different historical, moral, political, and cultural contexts. By exploring how a wide range of disciplines can illuminate and humanize complex aspects of leadership that are often obscured in a discourse hooked on reductive paradigms and quick fixes, The Arts of Leading invites leaders, scholars, and citizens to expand their practice of leadership in our ever-evolving world.