Harvard Business Publishing

Astonishingly, it looks as if Gordon Brown survived as Prime Minister, following a week of fighting for his political life. At a crisis meeting in Westminster, support for the PM prevailed — just — over mounting opposition to his leadership, including MP Frank Field who said his "premiership is inept and the party standing is pitiful." How long Mr Brown will be able to remain PM is questionable. A perfect storm of bitter party in-fighting, dramatic Cabinet resignations, the worst election results (in domestic and European polls) since the Labour became a national party in 1918, and continuing public outrage over the MPs' expenses scandal have rocked the government to its foundations. Mr Brown has had a turbulent premiership, but the coming months are likely to be the most difficult in his career. Reports suggest that the message of discontent is finally getting through to Mr Brown. At last he... Keep Reading »

May 2009 will go down as a turning point in Britain's parliamentary history. Over the last three weeks, the Daily Telegraph has published shocking details of MPs' leaked expenses claims, exposing our elected leaders as greedy, venal and completely out of touch with reality. As a spectacle of poor moral leadership, it is matched only by City bankers at the peak of the financial crisis. Revelation after revelation has shown how hundreds of MPs have played the system for personal gain, setting their own rules (the 'Green Book') and using public money to subsidise their lifestyles. Claiming they did nothing wrong, but merely 'followed the rules,' well-paid MPs claimed hundreds of thousands of pounds in expenses. The list of claims makes shocking reading and includes mortgage interest payments, tax advice, renovations on second homes, cleaning bills, gardening outlays (including clearing a moat and building a "duck island"), food (including pet... Keep Reading »

Sexism in the City is a dirty fact of life. Decades have passed, yet macho behaviour, discrimination and secrecy over pay endure for thousands of women working in London's financial sector. While most carry on regardless, some have risked professional exile by suing their firms for sexual or professional discrimination. Last year 44,000 equal pay claims were brought before the courts — more than double the number in 2005. It's frightening to think that this is where we are, nearly 40 years since the Equal Pay Act made it illegal to have different pay rates for men and women, and 25 years since the European Commission forced the UK to pass 'equal pay for equal value' into law. Only last month, a report by the UK's Equalities and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) found that full-time women workers in the City earned a shocking 55% less on average than men, rising... Keep Reading »

If you've been laid off in recent months, you're in excellent company. Plenty of qualified and experienced managers are now having to develop strategies to find their next job. But where to start? If you were my coaching client, I would simply say: network, network, network. And yet among my clients, networking is often an underdeveloped skill. Take Jerry, a 40-year-old business development manager in a financial services firm. His role is to build the business in Europe, so he has to make industry contacts, speak at conferences and look for new client relationships. He is now at a point in his career where he has to build internal networks, but instead of recognising that he is already a master networker, the very mention of the word makes him shudder. Why? Because in his mind, networking is associated with self-promotion, politics and inappropriate favours. In truth, networking is a critical... Keep Reading »

The convergence of global leaders on London for the G20 Summit is shaping up to be a fascinating spectacle of leadership for our times. Against the backdrop of world economic crisis and domestic unrest, we are surely witnessing an important political moment, but the most fascinating thing about the summit so far is the wide range of leadership styles and the shifting alliances between those leaders. Britain's prime minister and the summit's host, Gordon Brown, is clearly enjoying a moment of kudos after months of criticism for botching the economy and failing to discipline the banks. His dour features and thundering personality have positively blossomed in the company of Barack Obama, especially when the US president mentioned our 'special relationship.' Across town, French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who has threatened to walk out of the meeting, joined forces with Angela Merkel, his steely German counterpart, at a press conference. Throwing down... Keep Reading »

At the beginning of 2009, I set myself the task of writing a column about the future of capitalism. As the financial crisis unfolded and its future impact on society and the global economy began to emerge, it became a more daunting task by the day. The more I thought about the future of capitalism, the more scrambled my brain became. In a previous job as editor of a European business magazine, I had examined the alternatives to globalisation, but that was 2004 and the world has changed beyond recognition since then. For a start, it was difficult to understand what exactly had gone wrong - and was still going wrong - with the capitalist systems that had emerged during the last 30 years. And as the financial crisis exploded, ever more sensational twists in the story emerged: from the banking meltdown to stories of greed, lax regulation and fraudulent... Keep Reading »

There was little sign of humility or self-awareness this week as the big beasts of British banking were hauled before a parliamentary select committee to explain their part in the banking crisis. Accusations of arrogance and a refusal to take personal responsibility were refuted by the former chiefs of HBOS and the Royal Bank of Scotland, the two banks now largely owned by the government. And they rejected all claims that they had behaved recklessly. There were apologies, but the careful scripts showed how forced their contrition was. They seemed strangely detached from reality, as if the crisis had somehow occurred of its own accord, with events overtaking them. The grilling by politicians revealed some surprising facts. None of the four chiefs, it transpired, had any formal banking qualifications. Sir Tom McKillop, former chairman of RBS, admitted that he didn't actually understand the complex financial instruments sold between banks.Yet accountability... Keep Reading »

A few days ago, one of my Russian clients called me for a short telephone coaching session. Based in Moscow, he had travelled to Vladivostock for a series of business meetings. The line was crystal clear, our discussion was brisk, and after 30 minutes, he was back to his busy schedule of meetings. As I put the phone down, I pictured him going about his business in temperatures of -20C (-4F) and compared his situation in Vladivostock with mine in London. This week, the capital has ground to a halt after a snowstorm swept in from Siberia, bringing the heaviest snowfall the UK has seen for 20 years. Talking about the weather might be our national pastime, but in truth we are hopelessly unprepared for extreme 'weather events' such as we have seen this week. Unlike in the US or Europe, where life goes on regardless of the changing skies,... Keep Reading »

A few months ago I was lucky enough to work with someone who really understood resilience. Atef was one of a small group of international leaders I was coaching in London. On the first day, by way of introductions, I had asked them to describe their roles, their current business issues and a little about their backgrounds. Atef spoke last. A senior vice-president in an American bank, he described the challenges he was facing with his team and in his business. The story of relentless pressure, change projects, long hours and difficult people was a familiar one. But after a few minutes, the story took a different and unusual direction. With little emotion, he described his early life growing up in the West Bank. A Palestinian, he had no proper education, health service or even a nation-state. At 15, his father had died, leaving him -- the eldest son --... Keep Reading »

Welcome to 2009. After the roller coaster ride of 2008, leaders will be bracing themselves for all manner of challenges this year. We all know we are venturing into uncharted and dangerous waters, so what can leaders do to prepare themselves? From my experience of coaching international leaders, there is no shortage of strong implementation skills or strategic planning, although the events of 2008 challenged everyone's strategy in many respects. Most leaders have also become more flexible in their thinking and nimble in their execution. Some are developing good people skills and can communicate effectively (although this is by no means common), and a few are becoming more creative and innovative. What still seems to be missing is the ability to reflect: to stand back and consider issues deeply - and to look honestly at themselves as leaders. It isn't surprising that leaders find this difficult, given the unparalleled changes... Keep Reading »