Most organisations - public, private and third sector - know they need
to offer better leadership. But, in trying to do so, they too often look
in the wrong place. Experience tells us that even heroic leaders are no
better than the systems they work in. Flawed systems strangle
leadership. The answer? Stop polishing the fish and tackle the water
they swim in! The Search for Leadership shows why it is naive to expect
much leadership from individual managers acting alone. Only when we
start to see leadership as a property of the organisation can we begin
to improve it. William Tate pulls no punches in his examination of
leadership in business, politics and institutions like the police and
the Health Service. Using forensic analysis, cogent argument and damning
case studies, he shows why conventional leadership models and programmes
miss the point and waste our money. In their place he presents a proven
and practical 'Systems Thinking' approach that will transform the way
leadership is developed, applied and held accountable for delivering
results. This eye-opening account of the challenges organisations face
is written for managers as well as developers, teachers, researchers and
coaches. Its systemic focus sets it apart from other leadership books.
It will change the way you think about leadership and help improve the
way any organisation is run.
