Implications of theory and research on strategic leadership: a critical review

Abstract

Strategic Leadership: Theory and Research on Executives, Top Management Teams, and Boards by Finkelstein, Hambrick and Canella Jr. (2009) is one of the most important references in strategy studies. This work is a critical review of this book and attempts to answer why organizations do what they do or play the way they play. In this paper, we review all eleven chapters that make up the book. We then suggest the implications of this theory on strategy and organizations. We also consider how this book affects the development of the field of study. The book offers considerable foundations for executives and serves as a reference for researchers who wish to understand the phenomenon related to strategic leadership, considering the CEO, Board and Top Management Team.  The major contribution of this paper is that it summarizes the theory and concepts of the book in a few pages and identifies the main characteristics, antecedents and consequences of leadership in organizations.