Power Personalities and Principles - Improving political leadership
Discussions from a Cass Business School workshop on improving political leadership through cross-disciplinary research form this impact report for practitioners.
In July of this year Cass Business School and Professor Jo Silvester invited 80 scholars and practitioners to attend a workshop on Improving political leadership through cross-disciplinary research. Political leaders are fundamental to democracy, yet we know very little about the work they perform or how they develop the skills required to deliver good government. It seems that while political leaders play a critical role in tackling society's "wicked problems" (i.e. problems where there is little agreement about causes or solutions that often require fundamental changes in ideas or perspectives), there has been much less attention paid to the "wicked problem" of political leadership itself.
The aim of the workshop was to create a space where academics and practitioners from political science, psychology, business and politics might come together to discuss, challenge, and surprise one another with their different perspectives and ideas, and ultimately develop a broader understanding of the challenges of political work. Short thought-pieces around four topics provided by 14 invited speakers allowed time for plenty of audience participation and discussion. This report is intended as a reflection on the themes of the day, and to act as a spur for further research and practice.
The workshop was one of an ongoing series of interdisciplinary leadership events held under the aegis of the Group for Leadership Evidence Analysis and Development (LEAD) at Cass. Cass LEAD is a multi-disciplinary research centre focusing on leadership in many sectors.
The full report can be downloaded at the link below.
