Cutting-Edge Leadership

The best in current leadership research and theory, from cultivating charisma to transforming your organization.

Ronald E. Riggio, Ph.D., is Director of the Kravis Leadership Institute at Claremont McKenna College. See full bio

June 4, 2009

How to Spot a Bad Leader II: Really Bad Leaders

Some leadership scholars have argued that the majority of bosses are bad, ranging from merely incompetent to patently evil. It is these sorts of bosses that can make our working life a living hell. Do you work for one of these? Read More

May 23, 2009

How to Spot a Bad Leader

How often have we heard the phrase "power corrupts"? Often leaders become "intoxicated" by the increased power that their position gives them. Read More

May 10, 2009

The End of the Glass Ceiling: We Need a New Metaphor

The idea of a clear, impenetrable barrier doesn't fit because women can and do get through to top-level positions. Instead, women's path to leadership is more like a labyrinth, with twists and turns and dead-ends that make it more difficult for women to reach the top. Read More

April 27, 2009

How to Lead: More Lessons from the Practice of Leadership

Leading in today's world is not easy, but there are certain best practices identified by top experts that help organizational leaders to be more successful. Read More

April 21, 2009

How to Lead: 7 Lessons from the Practice of Leadership

We asked more than a dozen top leadership experts for simple guides for best leadership practices. This is what they came up with. Read More

April 18, 2009

Pygmalion Leadership: The Power of Positive Expectations

The bottom line is this: Leaders, believe in your team. Hold positive and high expectations that they will solve that difficult problem, meet the seemingly insurmountable challenge, and more often than not, they will meet or exceed your expectations.

April 9, 2009

Can Leadership Be Developed?

Each year in the U.S., billions of dollars are spent by companies and individuals on leadership development programs. A critical question is: does leadership development work? The answer is, "yes," but some programs seem to work better than others. Read More

April 6, 2009

Bosses From Hell: A Typology of Bad Leaders

Although the vast majority of books on leadership focus on leaders' positive qualities and their effectiveness, it is clear that many leaders are ineffective and the very worst leaders are horribly destructive. Psychologists Robert and Joyce Hogan estimate that at least 50% of executives fail, and that 60-75% of U.S. managers are incompetent.

Let's look at the types of bad leaders, ranging from do-nothing bosses to the most virulent and evil (perhaps you have examples from your own experiences of one or more of these?): Read More

April 1, 2009