The Path to Authentic Leadership: Dancing with the Ouroboros

The challenges of today require a leadership grounded in a profound and unflinching awareness of our interconnectedness and the existential stakes before us. The Path to Authentic Leadership frames the dilemmas of leadership within the insights provided by the Ouroboros, the mythic snake willing to destroy parts of itself so that it can be renewed. Kets de Vries discusses the effects of the pandemic in the context of the seven deadly sins, the impact of shame, evil, the lure of charisma, and the perils of procrastination. He also explores the inner theatre of white-collar criminals and the super-rich and outlines a path toward organizational transformation, turning again to the self-renewing process presented by the Ouroboros.

Format: Hardback
Length: 167 pages
Publication date: 11 October 2022
Publisher: Springer International Publishing AG

The unparalleled challenges of our time—a global pandemic, widespread climate disruption, and an economic instability that knows no bounds—demand a leadership rooted in a profound and unwavering awareness of our interconnectedness and the existential stakes at hand.

The Path to Authentic Leadership presents the dilemmas of leadership within the insights offered by the Ouroboros, the mythic snake willing to destroy parts of itself to be renewed. Like the Ouroboros, today's leaders must be prepared to navigate a dynamic, uncertain, and ever-changing environment with the capacity to reflect, adapt, let go of what is no longer effective, and create solutions that are not only rejuvenating but also sustainable.

Drawing from his extensive training in psychoanalysis and the systems-psychodynamic method, Kets de Vries delves into the effects of the pandemic within the framework of the seven deadly sins, the impact of shame, evil, the allure of charisma, and even the dangers of procrastination. He also explores the inner workings of white-collar criminals and the super-rich, offering commentary on the role of magic in management and the paradoxical role of koans as catalysts for change.

From there, de Vries outlines a path toward organizational transformation, once again drawing upon the self-renewing process presented by the Ouroboros. This dynamic is applied to his 7C sequence for organizational transformation—Context, Confrontation, Clarification, Crystallization, Cascading, Consolidation, and Continuity. The enactment of this sequence is brought to life through the story of a troubled CEO and the careful, step-by-step advice offered by an experienced executive consultant.

Throughout, de Vries emphasizes that the path to authentic leadership will be devoid of meaning unless it is guided by a deep understanding of our interconnectedness and a commitment to making a positive impact on the world around us.

Weight: 369g
Dimension: 210 x 148 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9783031046988
Edition number: 1st ed. 2023