ABSTRACT

There are a variety of successful and unsuccessful leadership styles studied in academia and in the media. However, research suggests the most destructive is absentee leadership. Absentee leadership is one of the most under-studied styles of leadership, yet findings show employee disengagement and turnover increase exponentially under an absentee leader. Having the proper leadership in place can make or break a team so it is imperative that higher-level leadership is aware of lower-level leadership behaviors. Additionally, organizations must ensure that all levels of management are properly trained and that exit interview learning is used to better inform training practices for leadership roles. This literature review draws from journal articles and human resource information to examine the qualities of absentee leadership, the results of absentee leadership, and recommendations for coaching absentee leaders.