Alive and well: the manifestation of zombie leadership in the arts

Leadership in the arts is a priority for governments, professional bodies and organisations. Cultural policies and strategies highlight its importance, training programmes build leadership capability, and institutions recruit leaders believed essential for organisational success. Yet the sector has a predilection for outdated leadership ideas. The arts remain wedded to narrow, elite models that sustain a leadership ‘industry’ while failing to address the sector’s real needs. We examine this issue through a case study of ‘zombie leadership’ in the arts–notions about leadership that persist despite having been discredited (Haslam et al. 2024). Our study of field and organisational cases reveals disproved leadership ideas are evident in policies, programmes, and practice. We also found authentic and distinctive approaches to leadership. Shared and co-leadership, alongside growing recognition of the value of leaders with lived experience, may discount zombie notions of leadership. Our research offers insights that guard against ineffective ideas about leadership.