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Leadership In Extremis: Authentic Leadership In Recreational Scuba Instructors, Geoffrey E. Sutton

Doctor of Management

In the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, the operational environment was chaotic and uncertain. Effective leadership in these circumstances was internally centered and values-based, rather than externally centered and rule-based. Theorists named this leadership style authentic leadership. Research into leadership in dangerous circumstances revealed that effective in extremis leaders display authentic leadership. Dangerous circumstances include not only military combat and traditional occupations such as law enforcement and firefighting, but also dangerous sports such as parachuting and mountain climbing. This investigation extended the existing research to a different dangerous sport, scuba diving. Data collection consisted of a single stage cross-sectional survey …