In this special episode of Battling with Business, Gareth and Chris are joined by Professor Damian O’Doherty, an academic at the University of Liverpool whose work explores leadership, organisational culture, and critical management studies.
Together, they dive into the philosophy of leadership and management, exploring ideas like: Reconstructing organization: moving beyond modern vs. postmodern management thinking. Loungification of society: why our workplaces (and even leadership styles) might look more like lounges than factories.
The myth of the heroic leader: why hero-worship in leadership can be dangerous and how bureaucracy might be due for a comeback.
Ethnography in business: what we learn when we actually live inside the organizations we study.

This episode is less about practical frameworks and more about challenging ideas that shape how we see leadership today.