Power plays: what Shakespeare can teach on leadership
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to look at Shakespearean characters and to help managers to discover their strengths and weaknesses and learn from Shakespeare, one of the best psychologists of all time.
Design/methodology/approach
Six manager types according to Shakespeare are examined in this piece and comparisons to famous managers of today are drawn.
Findings
It was found that Shakespeare's heroes, in their glory and their faults, do not differ too much from today's managers. So if you study Shakespearean leaders, you can prevent errors you may otherwise make as a manager.
Practical implications
The paper shows that managers can: learn more about themselves through Shakespeare; use a story as an indirect approach; prevent errors Shakespearean leaders already made; and understand that Shakespeare is one of the best psychologists and executive coaches.
Originality/value
While there have been some works on leadership in Shakespeare, this paper helps managers to find out more about themselves via Shakespeare. What might look like a detour will turn out to be a shortcut, as it is easier to talk about other people's faults (here: Shakespeare's leaders) than about your own.
Keywords
Citation
Etzold, V. (2012), "Power plays: what Shakespeare can teach on leadership", Business Strategy Series, Vol. 13 No. 2, pp. 63-69. https://doi.org/10.1108/17515631211205460
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2012, Emerald Group Publishing Limited