Narrative Leadership Development
Storytelling for Navigating Challenging Times
Andrew Rixon editor Linmin Zhang editor
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Taylor & Francis Ltd
Publishing:24th Aug '26
£41.99
This title is due to be published on 24th August, and will be despatched as soon as possible.
This paperback is available in another edition too:
- Hardback£155.00(9781041222224)

This book explores narratives’ contribution to leadership development and how the development of narrative leadership provides leaders with opportunities in an age of volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity.
Bringing together educators, researchers, coaches, and practitioners, the book traverses the dark side of leadership storytelling, leadership storytelling for inclusiveness, and innovative narrative practices. It introduces critical concepts such as narrative betrayal, narrative humility, and narrative reflexivity in order to examine storytelling not only as a source of inspiration and belonging but also as a site of ethical tension, power, and responsibility. This book will deepen readers' understanding of how and why storytelling is important in leader and leadership development contexts and provide practical tools and strategies for leadership development.
Ideal for leadership educators, facilitators, researchers, and organisational practitioners, this book provides essential tools and perspectives for developing leaders in today’s complex world. More than a toolkit, it is an invitation to reflect more deeply on leadership itself.
“This volume delivers a compelling roadmap for leaders who want to excel in today’s complex world. It shows how the most effective leaders critically examine, ethically shape, and collaboratively craft the stories that drive identity, connection, and organizational success. With rich insights into both the power and the “dark side” of leadership storytelling, this collection offers a dynamic, research‑backed guide to narrative leadership development. I highly recommend it to anyone seeking an authoritative and inspiring resource on the science and practice of narrative leadership.”
David V. Day, Professor of Psychological Science and Leadership, Claremont McKenna College, USA
“In a world searching for new narratives and new forms of leadership, this is an important book that brings these two worlds together. It offers a stellar resource for practitioners who are serious about their work with stories.”
David Drake, PhD, Founder, The Moment Institute
“As a collective practice and learning afficionado, it might seem counterintuitive that I would endorse a book on storytelling. As readers will see, however, this important volume makes way for stories as sense-making vehicles promoting critical reflection and identity formation through engagement in practice. This focus on narrative reflexivity can help learners reconstruct leadership decentering it from essentialist and heroic notions of leaders to its development as an unfolding author-ship via dynamic material-discursive social processes.”
Joe Raelin, Knowles Chair Emeritus, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
“As a business executive who has led three organizational turnarounds, I was drawn to the chapter “I Don’t Know Where We Are Going, But That’s Okay.” It treats storytelling not as inspiration or technique, but as an ethical discipline that asks leaders to tolerate ambiguity and resist premature closure. Grounded in lived leadership practice, it speaks directly to the realities of leading under genuine uncertainty. Highly recommended.”
Rex Chiang, General Manager, APAC Commercial Markets, Avon Cosmetics (Taiwan) LTD.
“This book is different as it addresses both the art and science of leadership. It emphasizes leadership skills for the current climate as opposed to ’same old’ from the past. It is helpful for both leaders and coaches working with leaders to empower them to enhance their leadership skills while meeting the needs of today.”
Marion Franklin, MS, MCC, author of “The HeART of Laser-Focused Coaching"
“I help groups build their story through awareness of self and others. This book explores why this is critical. Story sharing and “Cultural humility” build capacity, I have worked in these for years but discovered new perspectives. Specifically helpful was the “The Dark Side” often neglected, has unintended consequences that are missed or diminished or even intended consequences that are destructive.”
Lawrence Philbrook Director ICA Taiwan, CTF, CPF/Emeritus
ISBN: 9781041222217
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: unknown
308 pages