Power plays: what Shakespeare can teach on leadership

Purpose – This paper aims to look at Shakespearean characters and to help managers to discover their strengths and weaknesses and learn from Shakespeare, one of the best psychologists of all time. Design/methodology/approach – Six manager types according to Shakespeare are examined in this piece and comparisons to famous managers of today are drawn. Findings – It was found that Shakespeare's heroes, in their glory and their faults, do not differ too much from today's managers. So if you study Shakespearean leaders, you can prevent errors you may otherwise make as a manager. Practical implications – The paper shows that managers can: learn more about themselves through Shakespeare; use a story as an indirect approach; prevent errors Shakespearean leaders already made; and understand that Shakespeare is one of the best psychologists and executive coaches. Originality/value – While there have been some works on leadership in Shakespeare, this paper helps managers to find out more about themselves via Shakespeare. What might look like a detour will turn out to be a shortcut, as it is easier to talk about other people's faults (here: Shakespeare's leaders) than about your own.