Leading aesthetically in uncertain times

‘Leading Aesthetically’ highlights the processes by which leaders can inspire and motivate using sense perceptions that go beyond rational, objective, communication. In this article, we contribute to the theoretical development of aesthetic leadership by drawing on phenomenologist Roman Ingarden’s notions of presencing and concretization; backward reflexivity; attention to both form and content; and myth-making. We illustrate the particular relevance of these theoretical concepts to leadership in conditions of uncertainty and crisis by discussing the case of Hurricane Katrina’s impacts on New Orleans in 2005. The article concludes that aesthetically-aware leaders are able to deploy a range of intellectual and emotional skills that can complement more conventional rational-instrumental decision-making approaches in ways that can have considerable benefits in times of uncertainty, and most especially in crisis situations.