Leadership from Bad to Worse

PAY ATTENTION. With this simple advice, Barbara Kellerman conveys the powerful message that followers bear the ultimate accountability for the quality of our leaders. And usually that's us. Using four brilliant profiles, two CEO's and two heads of state, Kellerman examines and reveals the unique circumstances, but common DNA, shared by bad leaders, but reminds us that the ball's in our court. * Stanley McChrystal, Founder & CEO, McChrystal Group, General, US Army (Ret) * Barbara Kellerman's brilliant and blistering analysis is required reading and a cautionary tale to pull back from what is left of the brink. * Julia Hobsbawm, Award-winning business writer and Bloomberg commentator * This is an impressive contribution to our understanding of what Barbara Kellerman calls the 'dark side of the human condition,' the pathologies of bad leadership. Its distinguishing and commendable strengths are its synoptic approach, exploring both bad leaders and bad followers in contexts ranging from politics to the workplace, and her innovative account of the four phases of corruption. * Haig Patapan, Professor of Government, Griffith University * A brutal but alas accurate depiction of the human parasites that cause most of the world's big problems. In her usual direct, brave, and humorous style, Barbara Kellerman has managed to produce yet another leadership masterpiece: an outstanding book! * Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, Professor of Psychology, Columbia and University College London, and author of I, Human: AI, Automation, and the Quest to Reclaim What Makes Us Unique * Bad leadership - leadership that undermines democracy or distorts capitalism - doesn't just happen. As Kellerman points out in her invaluable book it progresses in distinct phases that become more dangerous over time. An original and important look at how bad happens and how perhaps to preclude it. * Bert Spector, Professor of Business Emeritus, Northeastern University * In her brilliant new book, Barbara Kellerman shows exactly how we get to worse. For anyone concerned about the current state of leadership in business and society, this will show you the signs to look out - and correct - before it is too late. * Herminia Ibarra, The Charles Handy Professor of Organisational Behaviour, London Business School *