Negative capability and care of the self

Von Bülow, Charlotte; Simpson, Peter

Abstract

This chapter considers caring leadership through the twin prisms of Negative Capability and Care of the Self, arguing that an aspiration to practise caring leadership involves a commitment to the development of self-knowledge and the capacity to be without. It presents an example of leadership in the prison service to illustrate how a phenomenological inquiry into one’s experience of self may serve to heighten the quality of attention that leaders give in complex situations. In a sector increasingly dominated by systems and driven by targets and performance indicators, this case reveals a dedication to re-humanising leadership by challenging the organisation to recognise that being human matters. This means developing a capacity for courage, trust and care in order to make decisions that are not driven by personal agendas, universal regulations of so-called best practice, or the fear of failure.

Citation

Von Bülow, C., & Simpson, P. (2020). Negative capability and care of the self. In L. Tomkins (Ed.), Paradoxes of Leadership and Care: Critical and Philosophical Reflection (131-141). Cheltenham: Edward Elgar. https://doi.org/10.4337/9781788975506.00021

• Acceptance Date: Sep 21, 2019
• Online Publication Date: Mar 2, 2020
• Publication Date: Mar 2, 2020
• Deposit Date: Sep 26, 2019
• Publicly Available Date: Sep 3, 2020
• Pages: 131-141
• Series Title: New Horizons in Leadership
• Book Title: Paradoxes of Leadership and Care: Critical and Philosophical Reflection
• Chapter Number: 11
• ISBN: 9781788975490
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4337/9781788975506.00021
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/3282609
• Publisher URL: https://www.e-elgar.com/shop/paradox-and-power-in-caring-leadership