Chapter 5: The Contribution of Psychodynamic Theory to Relational Leadership

This chapter identifies three fundamental debates within Relational Leadership Theory (RLT) (Uhl-Bien, 2006) and looks at ways in which concepts from a systems psychodynamic perspective can contribute to these issues. These debates are: how the self is theorized; the nature of relational dynamics in social systems; and how process can be engaged within organizational settings. These three debates have been addressed within RLT, and important distinctions have been made between relational theories that take an entity-based perspective and those that reflect a constructionist perspective.

To come to grips with these debates, we must explore the ontological and epistemological assumptions that underpin them. An ontological