Questioning the performativity of reflexive leadership among management-educated practitioners in the public sector

While traditionally discouraged in favour of quick and decisive action, reflexivity has recently been highlighted as key to modern leadership practice (Alvesson, Blom, & Sveningson, 2017; Cunliffe & Jun, 2005; Schippers, West, & Dawson, 2015). Despite this status as a buzzword in the leadership literature, reflexivity still only takes up a minor part of the curriculum in most management education programs (Parker, 2018). This is probably because questioning organizational rules and routines can be perceived as threatening and needless, especially if you as a student are looking for tools to simplify your leadership practice (Cunliffe, 2009; Parker, 2016). However, ongoing debates under the broad labels of critical reflexivity and critical performativity suggest that reflexivity is of key importance to develop more collaborative, responsive, and ethical ways of leading organizations (Broussine & Ahmad, 2013; Cunliffe, 2004; Cunliffe & Jun, 2005).