King Frederick the Great – Anti-Machiavellian and Servant Leader?
Purpose: This study aims to include two major objectives. Firstly, Frederick’s leadership is explored and characterized. Secondly, it is examined as to why a leader may (or may not) adopt servant leadership behavior in the case of Frederick II, King of Prussia. Design/methodology/approach: The applied methodology is a historical examination of Frederick II’s leadership, an eighteenth-century’s monarch who has the reputation of being the “first servant of the state.” The analysis is conducted from the perspective of modern servant leadership research. Findings: This study shows Frederick remains a rather non-transparent person of contradictions. The authors identified multiple reasons which explain why a leader may adopt servant leadership. Frederick’s motives to adopt a certain leadership behavior appear timeless and, thus, he most likely shares the same antecedents with today’s top executives. Research limitations/implications: The authors identified various antecedents of individual servant leadership dimensions, an under-research area to date. Originality/value: To the best of authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to look at Frederick's leadership style through the lens of modern servant leadership.
Year of publication: |
2020
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Authors: | Langhof, Jan G. ; Güldenberg, Stefan |
Published in: |
Journal of Management History. - Emerald, ISSN 1751-1348, ZDB-ID 2020279-9. - Vol. 26.2020, 2 (14.04.), p. 137-164
|
Publisher: |
Emerald |
Saved in:
Online Resource
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