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Cited by 100Leadership and Management in OrganizationsManagement and Organizational StudiesEducation, Leadership, and Health Research

Zombie leadership: Dead ideas that still walk among us

Open access
Haslam, S. Alexander, Alvesson, Mats, Reicher, Stephen D.·2024·The Leadership Quarterly
DOI 10.1016/j.leaqua.2023.101770
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Abstract

Considerable progress has been made in the field of leadership in recent years. However, we argue that this is undermined by a strong residual commitment to an older set of ideas which have been repeatedly debunked but which nevertheless resolutely refuse to die. These, we term zombie leadership. Zombie leadership lives on not because it has empirical support but because it flatters and appeals to elites, to the leadership industrial complex that supports them, and also to the anxieties of ordinary people in a world seemingly beyond their control. It is propagated in everyday discourse surrounding leadership but also by the media, popular books, consultants, HR practices, policy makers, and academics who are adept at catering to the tastes of the powerful and telling them what they like to hear. This review paper outlines eight core claims (axioms) of zombie leadership. As well as isolating the problematic metatheory which holds these ideas together, we reflect on ways in which they might finally be laid to rest.

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  • The vast majority of existing research on leadership portrays leaders as the primary influencers and followers as passive, obedient, and deferential recipients.

    “However, the vast majority of the existing research on leadership portrays leaders as the primary influencers and followers as passive, obedient, and deferential recipients (Haslam et al., 2024; Oc & Bashshur, 2013; Uhl-Bien et al., 2014).”

    From The evolution of leadership: Past insights, present trends, and future directions (2025) · cites this paper as Haslam et al., 2024

    In “Axiom #1: Leadership is all about leaders” (p. 5), the paper says most popular leadership texts focus on leaders while giving teams little attention. That supports the leader-centred part of the claim, but it does not establish that the vast majority of existing research portrays followers as passive, obedient, and deferential recipients. (LLM, conf=0.85)

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  • Some future research directions, such as profiles of behaviors and a focus on followers/followership, address criticisms leveled against extant leadership research.

    “Some of these directions, such as profiles of behaviors and a focus on followers/followership address criticisms leveled against extant leadership research (e.g., Fischer & Sitkin, 2023; Haslam et al., 2024).”

    From The evolution of leadership: Past insights, present trends, and future directions (2025) · cites this paper as Haslam et al., 2024

    In Axiom #3 (p. 6), the paper criticizes leadership research for focusing narrowly on leaders and neglecting followers’ perspectives. It also argues that effective behavior varies by group context, but it does not identify profiles of behaviors as a research direction that addresses this criticism. (LLM, conf=0.85)

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  • Leadership is rooted in the social interactions and relationships between leaders and their followers.

    “Haslam and colleagues remind us of two fundamental aspects that are inherent in the definition of leadership: (1) leadership is rooted in the social interactions and relationships between leaders and their followers; (2) the effectiveness of leadership is not demonstrated by the leaders ' traits or behaviors, but by the actions or changes of their followers.”

    From The evolution of leadership: Past insights, present trends, and future directions (2025) · cites this paper as Haslam et al., 2024

  • The effectiveness of leadership is not demonstrated by the leaders' traits or behaviors, but by the actions or changes of their followers.

    “Haslam and colleagues remind us of two fundamental aspects that are inherent in the definition of leadership: (1) leadership is rooted in the social interactions and relationships between leaders and their followers; (2) the effectiveness of leadership is not demonstrated by the leaders ' traits or behaviors, but by the actions or changes of their followers.”

    From The evolution of leadership: Past insights, present trends, and future directions (2025) · cites this paper as Haslam et al., 2024

  • Leadership research continues to focus on the leader and the leader's characteristics and behaviors, at the expense of viewing leadership as a group process grounded in relationships and connections and the critical role that followers play in accomplishing objectives.

    “Yet, despite the attention that this article has received (over 3000 Google Scholar citations), leadership research continues to focus on the leader and the leader ' s characteristics and behaviors, at the expense of viewing leadership as a ' group process ' that is ' grounded in relationships and connections ' and the critical role that followers play in accomplishing objectives (Haslam et al., 2”

    From The evolution of leadership: Past insights, present trends, and future directions (2025) · cites this paper as Haslam et al., 2024

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Cites

Flagged first, then by citations

4 of the 204 references couldn’t be matched to a known paper.

Research works printed but not linked: 32

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Authors
Haslam, S. A., Alvesson, M., & Reicher, S. D.
Affiliations
  • The University of Queensland (AU)
  • Lund University (SE)
  • University of St Andrews (GB)
Corresponding author
Haslam, S. Alexander
ORCID
Venue
The Leadership Quarterly
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2024-06
Volume
35
Issue
3
Pages
101770
ISSN
1048-9843 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1016/j.leaqua.2023.101770
OpenAlex
W4390921095
Cited by
100
References
204
Citations by year
2026: 46 · 2025: 37 · 2024: 17
Type
book review
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • The Leadership Quarterly (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • City Research Online (City University London) (submittedVersion)
  • Lund University Publications (Lund University) (submittedVersion)
  • St Andrews Research Repository (St Andrews Research Repository) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Strategy and Management › Leadership and Management in Organizations
  • Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management › Management and Organizational Studies
  • Social Sciences › Education › Education, Leadership, and Health Research
Keywords
leadership theory, elite interests, metatheory, leadership discourse, human resource management practices, public anxiety

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