A Brief Introduction to Reimagining Leadership

Before we look ahead, we need to look backward

This section begins with a brief outline of the history of leadership. You are taken on a hitchhikers guide of 4,000 years of thinking and writing about leadership. We start with the Old World Leaders (the “OWLs”), such as Aristole, progress to the New World Leaders (the “NWLs”) who adapted alongside the Renaissance and Industrial Revolution and then finally consider the Global World Leaders (the “GWLs”) who emerged from the Millennial onwards.

From Individual to Collective Leadership

The impact of you as a leader, your team, organisation or partnership and its networks affects how the public interest is served. In promoting collective leadership, we draw together different leadership levels and approaches that adapt to the context in which leadership occurs. We consider the different requirements towards, and needs of, the diverse levels of leadership and its recipients. We live in an age of complexity and uncertainty. The Covid-19 pandemic has illustrated this across the world with different approaches being taken in tackling this global leadership challenge.

The blurring of the Public Interest

The public interest is often defined as acts that focus on the public’s well-being or, originating from Aristotle, the common good. The boundaries are blurring. The public interest is not just about leaders who work in the public sector, such as health workers, local government, emergency services or voluntary groups. It is includes the private sector as the public form part of their customer base. Most important is the notion of social responsibility. Building economic, social and environmental well-being are all public values. Public interest is a practical and worthwhile measure in any policy or public leadership analysis.