Julia Middleton's thoughts on leadership » responsible leadership

Responsible leadership. Responsible cities.

Julia — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 09:28:26 +0000

Common Purpose has always been about getting leaders to look beyond their own space and to take responsibility for what happens around them. It’s interesting, as cities become the driving – leading force – in the world – they need to do the same. I visit city after city and they seem to have no real interest in the region or state that surrounds them. It’s their “hinterland”, one that it at best ignores and at worst runs rough shod over. This is of course made easier because it’s more than likely that the “hinterland” resents the city and partly of course because it is so heavily reliant upon it. I believe that just as leaders who take a wider view will eventually do better, so will cities. By understanding and engaging with their “hinterlands”. It’s what responsible leaders and cities do.

Old democracy and a new Prime Minister meets a new democracy and emerging leaders

Julia — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 16:22:32 +0000

When UK Prime Minister David Cameron asked a participant in Bangalore what had shifted in his thinking by being on a Common Purpose course, the participant said:

“I knew I was a leader at work but not for a minute had I thought of myself as a leader of Bangalore”

This says it all. What Common Purpose is about. What has happened to democracy – even a young democracy – that young leaders don’t know that it’s not just about voting but about standing up too. And most of all it says what democracy is. He got it, was up for it and knew he could lead.

India and the UK have much in common. One may be an old democracy and the other quite young, but they have much in common. Leaders have a deep sense of responsibility and possibility in both countries that it does not take much to awaken. They understand the deep cultural implications of one person – one vote, accountability, commitment to transparency and a sense of justice. And they understand frustrations, short-termism and the discouragement of difficult decisions.

That’s why there is such a special relationship between the UK and India that will benefit both. That’s why Common Purpose will continue to grow in India and connect with Common Purpose in the UK.

Don’t ask your people to do what you won’t do

Julia — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 09:18:23 +0000

I attended a revolt recently. Many many middle managers were being asked to think different, stretch, lift, work together, jump fences, go the extra mile. And not a single senior manager was there to do it with them. This was an organisation that must adapt or die, there was not just a burning platform, it was burning and sinking and blowing up all at the same time. And the senior managers knew what it was going to take of management. Just they hadn’t, it seemed, planned to do anything themselves. Or maybe they had, just that they didn’t tell or show anyone. In the modern day though the difference is irrelevant.