Abstract

Aesthetic leadership concerns the manner in which artists, and other aesthetic workers, perform leadership functions within groups, communities and culture, often outside established positions of authority. In this sense, aesthetic leadership connotes attainment beyond the insularity of particular aesthetic fields, such as art or literature, by gaining attention within a broader cultural or political arena. Recently, artists have been called upon for aesthetic leadership in management - as leaders, practitioners, visionaries, and inspirers (e.g., Austin and Devin, 2002; Hatch, Kostera and Kozminski, 2004; Schroeder, 2005). Thus, aesthetic leadership need not refer merely to creativity or vision; rather aesthetic leadership may emerge from insight into cultural, political, or interpersonal issues, aesthetic statements on social injustice or crucial cultural concerns, or, at a more general level, providing alternative ways of seeing problems, history, or received wisdom. In this way, aesthetic leadership may either complement or contradict more traditional leadership forms, such as politics, religion or management Aesthetic leadership may emerge from leadership qualities such as charisma, interpersonal skill, and vision, yet remain elusive, and difficult to categorize or cultivate.