Leading Professionals: Power, Politics, and Prima Donnas

Professional organizations such as accounting and consulting firms, law firms, and investment banks are essential to the global economy, but many of the most powerful are notoriously private. This book explores the challenges of leading these organizations, including the reluctance of individual professionals to see themselves as followers or leaders, the value of autonomy, and the complex power relationships among colleagues. It analyzes the power dynamics and interpersonal politics that lie at the heart of leadership in professional organizations and draws on organizational and leadership theory to explain how professionals come together to create leadership and why their leaders often fail.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 288 pages
Publication date: 23 September 2022
Publisher: Oxford University Press

Professional organizations, including accounting and consulting firms, law firms, and investment banks, play a crucial role in the functioning of the global economy. However, many of these powerful entities are notoriously private, shrouding their inner workings in complexity and mystery. This book delves into the challenging and often emotional realm of leading professional organizations, unveiling the realities that lie beneath the polished façade they present to the outside world.

Within these organizations, individual professionals, often highly educated, intelligent, and opinionated, exhibit a reluctance to see themselves as followers and may be equally hesitant to step forward as leaders. They value their autonomy and confer authority on their leaders on a contingent basis. The question then arises: how does a professional become recognized as a leader within a professional organization? How do leaders maintain their position once they have reached the pinnacle of their organization? Moreover, how do they navigate the intricate power relationships among their professional colleagues and effectively accomplish their goals?

Leading Professionals: Power, Politics, and Prima Donnas is a comprehensive analysis of the complex power dynamics and interpersonal politics that underpin leadership in professional organizations. Drawing upon extensive scholarly research conducted by Laura Empson, the book explores the world's leading professional organizations across various sectors, including interviews with over 500 senior professionals from 16 countries. It employs the latest organizational and leadership theory to examine in detail the processes by which professionals come together to create leadership. The book also identifies the factors that contribute to change within professional organizations and explains why leaders often fail in their endeavors.

In conclusion, professional organizations are the backbone of the global economy, and their leaders play a vital role in shaping the direction. This book offers a valuable insight into the challenges and complexities of leading professional organizations, shedding light on the inner workings and power dynamics that drive these entities. By examining the experiences and perspectives of senior professionals across diverse sectors, Leading Professionals: Power, Politics, and Prima Donnas provides valuable insights into the art of leadership and the strategies required for success in the professional world.

Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780192882028