[Book review] Islamic leadership: Bedouins in the boardroom and profiting from prophethood – Lessons from John Adair

Wilson, Jon (2012) [Book review] Islamic leadership: Bedouins in the boardroom and profiting from prophethood – Lessons from John Adair. TMC Academic Journal, 6 (2). pp. 48-62. ISSN 1793-6020

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Abstract

Review of: Adair, J. (2010), The Leadership of Muhammad. Kogan Page, London. ISBN: 9780749460761. Published date: 3 July 2010, Hardback, 144 pages.

The following paper provides a critical reflective review of Islamic Leadership, using John Adair’s 2010 book, The Leadership of Muhammad as a conceptual starting point. Methodologically, the review examines seminal texts across disciplines - using inductive reasoning and syllogisms, as a basis for conceptual metaphor theory and critical discourse analysis. Renowned leadership guru, John Adair, investigates leadership styles, present in Arab Bedouin social settings. His book asserts that the key to understanding Muslim perspectives on leadership lie in analysing those traits exhibited by the Prophet Muhammad (sas)1 and more generally Bedouin leadership styles. The conclusions drawn are that the book offers a concise and anecdotal historical overview, painting a halcyon picture of a significant period in Islamic history – which has helped to shape Arab Bedouin culture indelibly. However, rather than Bedouins, the author asserts that Islamic and Muslim Leadership are instead more significantly influenced by urbanites, who maintain rural connections – of whom the Prophet Muhammad is an exemplar.

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