Destructive leadership has become an umbrella term for a range of toxic leader behaviors, intentional or unintentional, which are associated with negative outcomes for followers and/or organizations (Einarsen et al., 2007; Krasikova et al., 2013; Mitchell et al., 2023; Schyns & Schilling, 2013; Thoroughgood, 2021). By contrast, dark leadership concerns the psychological mindset of the leaders, not just what they do, but also why they do it (Hogan & Sherman, 2022). To this end, it assesses the traits, motives, abilities, and perceptual tendencies that lead to patterns of toxic leader behaviors that we label as being destructive (see Hogan et al., 2021).

This book is intended to provide an in depth look at the topic of Dark and Destructive Leadership. Our author teams have provided insights into the origins and history of dark leadership, the personality and developmental antecedents associated with destructive leadership behaviors, the differential reaction of various types of followers to these toxic leadership styles, advances in the assessment and analysis of dark and destructive leadership styles, the differential display of these characteristics based on gender, and what we currently know about developmental and training interventions for leaders in danger of being derailed by these characteristics.

Dr. Fevzi Okumus is the CFHLA Preeminent Chair Professor within the Hospitality Services Department at the University of Central Florida’s Rosen College of Hospitality Management. He is the Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management (IJCHM) and the Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Insights (JHTI).

Dr. S. Mostafa Rasoolimanesh is an Associate Professor and Director of Centre for Research and Innovation in Tourism (CRiT), at the Faculty of Social Sciences and Leisure Management, Taylor's University, Malaysia.

Dr. Shiva Jahani is a statistician at the University of Central Florida. She specializes in research methodology and advanced data analytics. She is a Graduate Faculty Scholar at University of Central Florida, including at the Rosen College of Hospitality Management. She is the Associate Methodology Editor for the Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Insights.