Author: Shaun Coffey

Mary Parker Follett – a forerunner of much contemporary thinking on Management Practice

Many people now see Mary Parker Follett as a trailblazer in management and organizational theory. Her ideas remain applicable today, perhaps reflecting some of the enduring principles of managing. I see four key contributions that stand out.

• The Concept of Integration

Follett has given us an interesting way to think about and resolve conflicts. Instead of relying on domination or compromise, she advocated for solutions that meet everyone’s interests (integration). This approach encourages creative problem-solving. It fosters collaboration, not competition, and helps organizations find gain-gain outcomes. As an aside – I don’t like win-win as in these negotiations, compromise is needed, and we all gain. Winning implies superiority.  Too much of management (and politics) is still about winners and losers, rather than collective growth/achievement/satisfaction/happiness.

• Focus on Group Dynamics – Inclusion.

Continue reading “Mary Parker Follett’s insights suggest there is not much that is new and reminds us of the value of returning to first principles in all that is management.”

“By definition, leadership is needed when something has to be done that has never been done before. Meeting unknown circumstances requires rapid and spontaneous learning. In the case of today’s leadership needs, that learning is mutual.”

“Leadership Within the Paradox of Agency”  all quotes from Nora Bateson (2016) Small Arcs of Larger Circles, Triarchy Press.  

1. “Leadership does not reside in a person but in an arena that can be occupied by offerings of specific wisdom to the needs of the community.”

2. “Leadership is produced collectively in the community, not the individual. The individual’s responsibility is to be ready and willing to show up, serve, and then, most importantly, stand back.”

3. “In the ecology of the interdependence of our world, the individualistic idea of leadership is wildly out of sync.”

4. “The illusion of leadership as a singular and linear causation distracts from our ability to perceive the larger interactions in context.”

5. “Our evolution is only in our mutual contribution and learning. Leadership, as such, must be reimagined as an evolving process embedded in interdependency.”

6. “Leadership for this era is not a role or a set of traits; it’s a zone of interrelational process. Step in, step out.”

7. “In ecological terms, leadership is less about the individual and more about the environment where collective need and possibility align to produce new paths.”

8. “The health and vitality of leadership lies in the relationships and mutualities, not in the isolated hero’s story.”

9. “Mutual learning is only possible when all participants are willing to be wrong, to explore the unknown, and to go off the map together.”

10. “Good teachers and real experts are not leaders. They are fertilizer, tending to the soil from which growth emerges.”

Book Review: “On Leadership: Lessons for the 21st Century” by Tony Blair

Author: Tony Blair

Publication Date: September 2024

Publisher: Hutchinson Heinemann

ISBN: 9781529151510

In On Leadership: Lessons for the 21st Century, Tony Blair draws insights from over a decade as Prime Minister of the UK, along with his subsequent work advising leaders through the Tony Blair Institute. This book is not a memoir, nor is it just a reflection on political leadership. Blair tries to prove a comprehensive manual for navigating the complexities of governance in the today’s world.

Key Themes:

1. Leadership as Action-Oriented: Blair emphasizes the importance of leaders being decisive and action-oriented. He advocates for taking calculated risks when they align with a higher purpose, even if the risks are politically unpopular.

He defines leadership as being “of advancing and not just being; of action and not mere analysis; to resolve the problem and not simply articulate it.”

2. The Need for Strategy: Blair argues that effective leaders must have a clear roadmap for governance, identifying a path and staying committed to it. He stresses that leadership is not reactive; instead, it should be focused on long-term change. He suggests that significant transformation in a country takes a minimum of 10 years, with 20 years being ideal. 

3. Building the Right Team: A significant portion of the book addresses the importance of surrounding oneself with the right people—those who are not only knowledgeable but also resilient under pressure. Blair discusses how leaders should incorporate outside expertise to compensate for the generalist nature of civil service.

4. Balancing Short-Term Wins with Long-Term Reforms: Blair acknowledges the tension between securing short-term political victories and pushing for deep, structural changes. Leaders, he argues, must be adept at balancing these competing demands.

5. Tackling Bureaucracy: One of the practical lessons Blair shares is how leaders should work with, and sometimes around, bureaucracy. Although necessary, bureaucratic systems can slow down progress, and Blair offers strategies to curb inefficiencies while ensuring governance structures support policy delivery.

Insights for Leadership and Governance 

Blair’s book succeeds as a practical guide, not limited to political leaders but applicable to leadership in various sectors. His direct, candid advice reflects his experience dealing with crises, reforming institutions, and maintaining a vision for long-term change. The book is structured into concise chapters, filled with real-world examples drawn from global leadership contexts, making it accessible for readers beyond the political sphere. I am not competent to speak to many of the comments he make in his anecdotes, but his reflections on leadership as a practice resonated with my own experience.

Leadership is, indeed, an improvisational practice that occurs in groups in particular circumstances.

Conclusion:

On Leadership offers valuable lessons for anyone interested in leadership, particularly those involved in governance and public administration. Blair’s reflections are candid and backed by his considerable experience, making this book a useful contribution to the vast leadership literature.

This is a useful read for aspiring and current leaders who want to make impactful, lasting change, especially in environments resistant to reform.