Zombie Leadership: Dead Ideas That Pander to Elites, Cultivate Powerlessness, and Erode Democracy

Barcelona, Spain · May 2026

Integrative Science Symposia (ISS)

Alexander Haslam
The University of Queensland

Abstract

Zombie Leadership is all around us. Championing outdated, debunked ideas that glorify heroic leaders and their exceptionalism, it disempowers the public and destroys democracy. Identity leadership offers a collective, evidence‑based alternative, but staving off Zombie Leadership requires us to work together to reimagine and reshape the leadership landscape.

← Safeguarding Democracy: Polarization, Populism, and Post-Truth

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Zombie Leadership: Dead Ideas That Pander to Elites, Cultivate Powerlessness, and Erode Democracy

Abstract

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