Leadership and being a leader is almost invariably viewed in a positive way. The leadership literature and the industry supporting the training and development of leaders are overwhelmingly focused on the positive aspects of leadership. When searching on Amazon for “good leadership” there were 35,620 results and when searching for “bad leadership” there were 3,931 results. I found one book on bad leadership (which I bought), one on good and bad bosses (which I might buy), and one on how to survive bad bosses (that I fortunately no longer need). To be sure there are others, but you get the point.

Focusing on positivity and making sure leadership training and education provides guidance for how to be a good or great leader is undoubtedly where we should start and that’s where my focus has always been. And despite the obvious reluctance of leadership experts to write books on the topic, I also think there’s incredible value in taking a serious look at bad leadership to discover what we need to learn from it so we can correct it or prevent it the damage bad leadership causes. Unfortunately there are many examples of leaders throughout history and even in recent times who have wreaked economic havoc and have taken a deadly toll on human lives. Is it possible to prevent at least some of the consequences of bad leadership? We don’t know, but if we overcome our reluctance to talk about bad leadership, we at least open the possibility. If we engage in conversations about bad leadership, perhaps we can find out what will we learn and what constructive actions can we take as a result.

Join us on May 27 and share your experiences and wisdom as we more thoroughly explore the topic of bad leadership to find the valuable lessons waiting for us there. Please register online and encourage others who would enjoy the discussion to attend as well. All are welcome.

Please note: This is a “brown bag” event and it is recommended that participants bring their lunch to eat during the roundtable. We’ll also have beverages and popcorn or other snacks to share.

About the Roundtable: The Women’s Leadership Roundtable is a facilitated open forum for women, as leaders of themselves and others, to discuss relevant issues, build community and network, collaborate with, learn from, and support one another. It provides an opportunity for women to be heard, share their experiences, engage in thought-provoking discussion, and to generate ideas and growth together. The roundtable is an ongoing event, open to the public, held on the last Friday of every other month from January through September in a Denver area location. You are encouraged to attend as frequently as possible and bring your ideas, issues, and interests to the discussion. There is a $10 charge for the roundtable, paid in advance when registering online, and a $12 charge when paid at the door. For additional information, contact Karen McGee at 303-503-9681.