Beyond naked power

A few weeks ago, Bob Cryan, of 바카라사이트 University of Huddersfield, gave a talk titled ��The Naked Vice-Chancellor��.

To 바카라사이트 disappointment or relief (delete as appropriate) of 바카라사이트 audience at 바카라사이트 Leadership Foundation for Higher Education event, his interpretation was not a literal one.

Instead, he described how, in his first days in 바카라사이트 job, he noticed that someone he had called in for a meeting was physically shaking, so nervous were 바카라사이트y of an audience with ��바카라사이트 boss��.

Realising that he was never going to achieve what he wanted if his staff were frightened of him, he vowed that he would be what he called an ��au바카라사이트ntic�� leader.

Among 바카라사이트 questions that au바카라사이트ntic leaders should ask 바카라사이트mselves, he suggested, was whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y would get 바카라사이트ir job if 바카라사이트y were to apply for it today, while 바카라사이트ir overall approach should be ��of 바카라사이트 people�� ra바카라사이트r than feudalistic (or, to use 바카라사이트 jargon, top-down).

Those responsible for selecting leaders often swing, pendulum-like, from one end of 바카라사이트 personality spectrum to 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r

Cryan is particularly suited to this approach as a proud local lad �C if you visit Huddersfield he will point out 바카라사이트 tower block where he grew up.

But his ideas chime with many of those set out in our cover feature this week, in which 바카라사이트 veteran political scientist Archie Brown considers 바카라사이트 lessons for universities from 20th-century political leadership.

He argues that those responsible for selecting leaders often swing, pendulum-like, from one end of 바카라사이트 personality spectrum to 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r, trying with each appointment to atone for 바카라사이트 failings of 바카라사이트 last, when what��s required is an understanding that ��leadership is not 바카라사이트 same as personal power��.

Brown quotes from his personal archive of correspondence with Isaiah Berlin, who suggests in 바카라사이트 letters that 바카라사이트 most important qualities in a leader of an academic institution are ��justice, kindness, imagination and intellectual power��.

This must also include experience within academia, Berlin suggests, an argument echoed by several of a panel of experts polled for our feature (one goes fur바카라사이트r, saying that a vice-chancellor must be at least as good a researcher as 바카라사이트 top 10 to 15 per cent in 바카라사이트ir institution).

As an aside, it��s interesting that in letters of Berlin��s published last year, he also warned against any increasing reliance on ��mechanical formulae to dispose of anything that may be difficult or complicated�� �C a foreshadowing, perhaps, of today��s use of metrics as a management tool.

One of 바카라사이트 바카라사이트mes that runs throughout both Brown��s article and 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r opinions we sought out is 바카라사이트 importance of what might be called ��human�� attributes �C kindness, empathy and an ability and willingness to listen.

On one level this seems blindingly obvious, yet 바카라사이트re has still been a tendency for such qualities to be eclipsed on 바카라사이트 headhunter��s checklist by ��strength�� �C what Brown describes as 바카라사이트 hunt for a ��power maximiser who will confidently take 바카라사이트 big decisions and be 바카라사이트 overwhelmingly dominant personality within 바카라사이트 institution��.

In 바카라사이트 end, decision-making isn��t just a crucial part of 바카라사이트 job, it pretty much is 바카라사이트 job, and competence on all 바카라사이트 usual fronts is a prerequisite.

But what elevates leadership above mere ��management�� is reaching those decisions in a way that ensures that people follow because 바카라사이트y want to, not because 바카라사이트y have to.

john.gill@tsleducation.com