Genuine imposterism and leadership in higher education: A collaborative auto-ethnographic exploration

Genuine imposterism, in connection with leadership, represents the long-term and systematic pretence of domain-related competencies and skills in a leadership position. As a de facto relevant aspect of toxic or destructive leadership, this phenomenon has, however, remained under-explored in the context of leadership, in general, and in higher education, in particular. Based upon a literature review, this paper explores the nature and the effects of genuine imposterism with leadership in higher education on two levels: on the level of the individual employee and on the level of the resulting group dynamics. The biographical journey experienced by four faculty employees in Scandinavian higher education as a context in which genuine imposterism unfolds is described through an exploratory study that uses collaborative auto-ethnography. The paper provides important theoretical and practical implications for a better understanding of the nature and scope of genuine imposterism with leadership positions in higher education and beyond.