Recognising, Coping with, and Transforming Dark Leadership as Leaders and Individuals

Sinem Bulkan () and Malcolm Higgs ()
Additional contact information
Sinem Bulkan: University of Reading
Malcolm Higgs: Birmingham City University

Chapter Chapter 7 in Dark Leadership, 2025, pp 175-214 from Springer

Abstract: Abstract This chapter provides a comprehensive and practitioner-oriented exploration of how dark leadership can be recognised, managed, and ultimately transformed—both by those who lead and by those who are led. Beginning with a focus on leaders, it examines how individuals can identify their own leadership styles, particularly under pressure, and develop healthier leadership practices through self-awareness, reflection, feedback, mindfulness, and ethical decision-making. The chapter then turns to employees, offering practical strategies for coping with toxic leadership—including boundary-setting, resilience-building, and accessing support networks. It further examines the role of whistleblowing and ethical advocacy when leadership breaches organisational or legal boundaries. The latter sections address systemic transformation in environments dominated by dark leadership. Drawing attention to the pivotal influence of middle management and the cultivation of microcultures, it argues that change can be led from below even when senior leadership is resistant. Finally, the chapter explores the possibility of development for dark leaders themselves, highlighting the role of coaching, accountability structures, and sustained behavioural interventions. Finally, it discusses the importance of leadership development in individuals exhibiting dark leadership tendencies, advocating for interventions that promote ethical and sustainable leadership practices. Through a combination of practical guidance and reflective insights, this chapter equips leaders, employees, and organisations with the tools to mitigate the effects of dark leadership and drive meaningful transformation.

Keywords: Dark leadership; Leadership awareness; Organisational culture; Workplace resilience; Coping strategies; Ethical leadership; Leadership development (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

There are no downloads for this item, see the EconPapers FAQ for hints about obtaining it.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:spr:sprchp:978-3-031-97103-7_7

Ordering information: This item can be ordered from
http://www.springer.com/9783031971037

DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-97103-7_7

Access Statistics for this chapter

More chapters in Springer Books from Springer
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().