Situated knowledge: A Foucauldian reading of ancient and modern classics of leadership thought

Abstract

This paper aims to provoke reflection and debate on researcher assumptions and the potential functions and consequences of truth claims made about leadership. A Foucauldian approach informs this comparative case study of key Classical Greek and transformational leadership texts, aiming to unsettle what we normally take for granted about leadership so as to enhance our capacity to explore new ways of thinking. Initially I address what is said about leaders, followers and their relationship in each case, after which I consider the historical context of these ideas, their potential effects for leader and follower subjectivity and their wider social function. The paper then identifies continuities and discontinuities in thinking, suggesting social context has a greater effect than is normally understood in shaping what is sayable and thinkable in respect of leadership, and revealing that leadership may possess mutable ontological foundations.