How a Charismatic – Destructive Leader Falls: A Dramaturgical – Rhetorical Analysis of Travis Kalanick’s Leadership Lifecycle at Uber

Destructive Leadership is a fallout of the leadership continuum where a leader can‟t be purely destructive or charismatic all the time. Adopting Gardener‟s and Avolio‟s dramaturgical approach to charismatic leadership along with Padilla‟s Toxic Triangle theory of destructive leadership, we review the recent ouster of Uber ex-CEO Travis Kalanick. In the process we identify that Kalanick‟s rhetoric closely aligns with Padilla‟s triangle and also show distinct instances of inter element interactions. Further we assess the dramatis personae of Kalanick and his customization and thematic stances on leadership rhetoric to followers and environment. Also metaphorically analysed is the leader‟s charismatic sway by adapting and comparing against the key ingredient of every successful dramaturgical act as defined by Christopher Nolan‟s in his 2006 film „The Prestige‟, based on the book of the same title by Christopher Priest.