The authentic leader - Neil Thompson

In the field of leadership so much of what is available falls short of addressing the heart of the leadership experience: the complexity of human existence.

Neil Thompson adopts an existentialist outlook to show that a human-centred approach is key to effective leadership. Critical of other approaches to authentic leadership, he demonstrates the impact of using existential authenticity to empower the workforce.

Divided into three parts it explores the problems with current leadership theory and practice; unravels existentialist philosophy and its contribution to an authentic approach to leadership; and applies authentic leadership to practice by linking key skills to different problem scenarios.

Though grounded in complex ideas, Thompson's work successfully translates these into a leadership philosophy that is presented with clarity, accessibility and practical application. It is a book for anyone practising, or training to practise, in a field that requires strong leadership skills, including business and management, social work; youth work; nursing and health care; sport and beyond.