Destructive leadership in education: a transdisciplinary critical analysis of contemporary literature

ABSTRACT

Although an emerging field in the leadership literature, destructive leadership is an under-researched area in the context of education. Destructive leadership in schools is the focus of the article. To understand the phenomenon we first undertake a transdisciplinary review of the literature from across philosophy, psychology and sociology. We then apply the novel lens of autopoietic theory to identify the morphology of the phenomenon, that is, its underlying structure and the process that gives rise to destructive leadership. Through a synthesis of these discourses we propose an emergent theory antithetical to synergy, which we call ‘dysergy’. We offer this theoretical frame to help understand destructive leadership and to guide future research and action.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Pamela Ryan

Pamela Ryan is Industry Professor (Learning and Education) in the Institute for Sustainable Futures at the University of Technology Sydney. Pam has an extensive background in education as a schools’ director, principal and consultant.

George Odhiambo

George Odhiambo is Associate Professor of Educational Leadership and has been the Director of the MEd (Management & Leadership) Program at the University of Sydney since 2004. His research interests are in the areas of Educational leadership and policy. He is currently a member of the International Advisory Board of the National Excellence in School Leadership Initiative (NESLI) and serves as Chief Academic Officer at Excelsia College, Sydney.

Rachel Wilson

Rachel Wilson is Senior Lecturer in Educational Assessment, Evaluation and Research Methods at the University of Sydney. As such she holds expertise and research interests in a wide range of issues relating to educational policy and practice.