When Leadership Fails: Individual, Group and Organizational Lessons from the Worst Workplace Experiences

When Leadership Fails is a multidisciplinary resource for researchers and practitioners. As a curated selection of unique, scholar-practitioner reflections from around the world, this collection highlights both the universal impact of leaders behaving badly and the communal triumph that emerges from deconstructing these experiences in aggregate. In addition to expert insight into these leadership and organizational challenges, readers benefit from the application of empirical and theoretical research for analysis and interpretation. Readers will gain a deeper understanding of the individual, group and organizational implications of negative leadership encounters in the workplace. Readers will find value in the immediate application of these lessons to their own careers and organizations.

Lonnie R. Morris, Jr. is an assistant professor of organizational leadership at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology where he received awards in 2019 and 2020 for innovative teaching and instruction. He has 20+ years of leadership in higher education across multiple administrative, consulting and faculty roles. He has led and supported change management, leadership development and technology implementation consultations. He formerly chaired the International Leadership Association’s ethics forum learning community.
Wendy M. Edmonds, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Behavioral Science and Human Services at Bowie State University. As a sought-after leading expert in ’Toxic Followership’, she is Chair of the Followership Learning Community at the International Leadership Association, published author, and researcher. She is the first researcher to conduct focus group studies with survivors of the 1978 Jonestown Massacre that occurred in Guyana. It was that life changing event, which fueled her concentration on ’toxic followership’ and the various perspectives of leader-follower relationships.