LEADERSHIP ON THE COUCH: SUBMISSION, LISTENING, AND LANGUAGE AS CHALLENGES IN NEW LEADERSHIP

Abstract

This article proposes an innovative approach to the analysis of contemporary leadership, using fundamental concepts of psychoanalysis as lenses for observation and reflection. Moving away from traditional management approaches, the study explores subjection as an inevitable process in the constitution of the identity of the leader and the collaborator, influenced by corporate culture, institutional discourses, and market expectations. It argues that “new leadership” requires a deep understanding of subjective dynamics in the workplace, which implies a redefinition of the role of listening and language. When understood from a psychoanalytic perspective, these tools emerge not as mere instruments of communication, but as foundations for more authentic, resilient, and effective management. The article seeks to demonstrate that the real challenge for the modern leader lies not only in managing processes and results, but above all in managing subjectivities, including their own.