Are political leaders inevitably tethered to violence? It is a question that haunts the corridors of power and the pages of history alike. In my latest article, published this month in the journal Leadership, I seek to answer this by returning to one of the most tumultuous moments in British history, the trial and execution of Charles I in 1649. However, this is not merely a history lesson. By applying Max Weber's … [Read more...] about Is Violence Inherent to Political Leadership? The English Regicides
Leadership, Management & Command
What the New Model Army Teaches About Whole System Change
In the latest article for Leadership, Professor Keith Grint examines the General Council meetings of 1647–49 as a masterclass in 'Whole System Change'.How did a 17th century revolutionary army pioneer modern concepts of systemic transformation?The contemporary world of management often treats "Whole System Change" as a modern invention, a product of 21st century complexity. However, as Professor Keith Grint … [Read more...] about What the New Model Army Teaches About Whole System Change
The Resistance to Fascism in Europe, 1933 -1945
I gave a talk to the International Leadership Association annual conference in Prague in October entitled 'The Resistance to Fascism in Europe, 1933 -1945' and this was my final slide. When I started writing the paper (and the chapter it’s drawn from) I didn’t envisage it would be so relevant to events happening ‘across the pond’ now.CONTEMPORARY REFLECTIONS ON LEADERSHIP & THE RESISTANCE TO FASCISM IN … [Read more...] about The Resistance to Fascism in Europe, 1933 -1945
Leadership, Fatalism and Climate Change 2025
What follows is an AI generated video using my text about ‘Leadership, Fatalism and Climate Change’, lip-synched to a video of me talking in Belfast’s Titanic centre some years ago. My good friend and technical wizard, Tim Heath, sorted out the technology but the words are mine and it is based on my voice. Personally, I find it both intriguing and worrying – a bit like Climate Change – what do you think?Decades … [Read more...] about Leadership, Fatalism and Climate Change 2025
Mutiny and Leadership
I wrote my mutiny book in pursuit of a long term interest in both resistance and the military. I had written before on mutinies in the British Civil Wars and Roman history, but I wanted to spend more time on trying to understand why people mutiny, why they don’t, and equally important for me, why do individuals take on leadership roles in mutinies that are almost certain to end in significant punishment or … [Read more...] about Mutiny and Leadership