In this episode, host, Tony Galliano explores five influential leadership theories that shape ethical and effective practice in education, business, and civic life: Transformational, Authentic, Servant, Adaptive, and Inclusive Leadership. Each theory is unpacked through four key lenses: the characteristics of leaders who use it, its strategic strengths, the common challenges of implementation, and the real-world contexts where it thrives.

Drawing on real-world leaders like Nelson Mandela, Jacinda Ardern, Cheryl Bachelder, Angela Merkel, and Satya Nadella, this episode blends practical insight with research-based frameworks. It is ideal for scholars, educators, organizational leaders, and anyone seeking to understand how leadership theories apply in high-stakes, diverse, and evolving environments.

References

Bass, B. M., & Riggio, R. E. (2006). Transformational leadership (2nd ed.). Psychology Press.

Greenleaf, R. K. (1977). Servant leadership: A journey into the nature of legitimate power and greatness. Paulist Press.

Heifetz, R. A., Grashow, A., & Linsky, M. (2009). The practice of adaptive leadership: Tools and tactics for changing your organization and the world. Harvard Business Press.

Randel, A. E., Galvin, B. M., Shore, L. M., Ehrhart, K. H., Chung, B. G., Dean, M. A., & Kedharnath, U. (2018). Inclusive leadership: Realizing positive outcomes through belongingness and being valued for uniqueness. Human Resource Management Review, 28(2), 190–203. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hrmr.2017.07.002

Walumbwa, F. O., Avolio, B. J., Gardner, W. L., Wernsing, T. S., & Peterson, S. J. (2008). Authentic leadership: Development and validation of a theory-based measure. Journal of Management, 34(1), 89–126. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206307308913