The Hidden Patterns of Leadership: The Mental Models That Shape How We Lead, Team, and Follow
About this ebook
This book challenges widely held assumptions about leadership by revealing the hidden psychological patterns and schemas that shape how individuals think, behave, and collaborate at work. These schemas operate below the level of conscious awareness, influencing how we make decisions, respond to pressure, handle conflict, and engage with power. They determine whether people step forward as leaders, contribute as effective teammates, or withdraw as silent followers. At the heart of the book is a simple but powerful premise:
- Leadership is not a role you hold. It is a schema-driven behaviour you adopt in a moment
- Teaming is not a personality trait. It is a schema that shapes how you collaborate
- Followership is not passive obedience. It is an active schema that can drive loyalty, dissent, or disengagement
This is not another leadership-style model; it is a cognitive framework that explains why styles emerge in the first place and shows readers how to develop role agility across the challenges of modern organisational life.
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About the author
Ian Stewart is a behavioural scientist, teacher, and international leadership consultant. He was former Head of Applied Behavioural Science at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, and his public sector roles have included Head of Media Training and Corporate Identity at the UK Ministry of Defence and Head of the Leadership Academy at the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF), where he developed leadership capability frameworks aligned with national transformation goals.
